Ino-cence
by featheredblades
Summary: Ino is a Kunoichi, with all that that entails. (Mature themes, NOT PwP. Not for the faint-hearted.)
1. Chapter 1

Ino prides herself on her kunoichi skills.

They're often looked down upon, kunoichi. The female ninja who are seen as strong and capable of hard work are those who emulate the shinobi ways. Sakura and Tsunade's godlike strength; Tenten's weapons mastery- those are distinctively trying to play the game the way shinobi do.

Ino can't count the number of times she's been dismissed or passed over because, while she is more than capable in combat or assault, it's not the talents she has chosen to master. Jounin will roll their eyes to each other when she comes into the barracks to pick up a mission. It's a subtle feeling, that one of _you don't belong_. Even the Hokage falls into that mindset occasionally- offhanded comments like when she delivers a report, dismissing her with a "thank you for your work Ino and enjoy the time off- go get a makeover or something", as though a makeover is the height of Ino's desires and dreams.

But Ino wears this all with a quite self-confidence, because she is proud of her skills.

She is a Yamanaka, and has taken her clan's specialisation in mind arts and combined it with the exquisitely traditional female arts.

Make no mistake, they are _skills_.

She has had to learn her own body and her opponents' bodies just like everyone else. Where Rock Lee has spent hours learning balance and muscle control in order to increase reflex speed and strike impact in his taijutsu, Ino has probably spent more hours learning balance and muscle control to entice arousal, to distract, to appear meek and harmless while carrying weapons.

She can raise a blush to her cheeks and banish it again within five seconds.  
She can elevate her heart rate, make herself sweat, knows the exact breathing patterns to mimic breathlessness and can fake an orgasm better than anyone- by practice gaining control over 'involuntary' muscles. She knows exactly how to appear in a daze of lust and not get lost in it.

She can analyse her target and with fair accuracy predict how an encounter will go. The flexibility and balance from taijutsu often serve her well for picking a pocket or disarming someone subtly mid-act.

She has lost shame in those overt skills. Men and women both often joke about how easy seduction missions are- "Oh Shikamaru, is Ino lazing around with you again? not like you need training to spread your legs right?" they giggle- but there are many more tricks of the trade to master.

Ino personally dislikes the maintenance of grooming herself. She'd love to just pick her look for the day and never have to worry about the upkeep of her appearance- but appearance is everything for her line of work. Her hands have to stay smooth and unscarred. Her eyes have to be bright and clear, her face unblemished, her hair soft and unruffled.

It's not just her own appearance that has an impact. She can subtly alter a target's mood by their environment, as small things as the service they get at a restaurant and the food they eat, the music they play. She has to be an aesthete and sensitive to the target's likely preferences too. Her conversation must be light, draw out information without being obvious; sometimes she wants to draw attention to herself and other times she just wants to be a vague pretty face in a bar.

She is both spy and femme fatale, and she wonders how it can be that the civilians Konoha shelters can fantasize about women like her in blockbuster movies and yet she never gets to be acknowledged by her comrades for her real life work.

All of this doesn't yet explain why the rest of the Konoha Twelve fall silent when she walks into the room.

Ino as a Genin had to be the star-of-the-show. She needed the limelight because that was what being beautiful was- attention, and that was what good girls were. As an apprentice in T&I, Ino laughed and thought really shouldn't a Yamanaka psychologist for a father know better than to give his daughter such obviously sexist approval-mechanisms? As an interrogator, she began to learn that humans were often hypocrites, that the cobblers' children really do go barefoot, and that maybe even her father was sexist without realising. She resolved to do better, until she realised that doing better was choosing whether or not to have attention without linking it back to her self-worth.

So now, she wonders why she has the Konoha Twelve's attention without choosing to have it.

Naruto is the first to recover, raising a cup of sake to her. Neji is behind, still in his ANBU uniform- it's been hastily wiped of whatever grime from his mission, but she can still see the faint green stain of grass on the white chest armour. Tenten blushes red from where she's leant next to him, her western drink with its layers of coloured alcohol gleaming in the mood lighting. Lee and Sakura call out a greeting hastily, as if recalling manners. Hinata and Shino and Kiba, ever the close knit team, have Akamaru laid out between them and Shino has a pipe lit in front of him.

She smiles and instantly brushes her chakra across all their minds. Just enough to pick up the surface layer of thoughts, any images or impressions that they're momentarily thinking of.

Hinata is thinking of Neji's shaking head, judgement clear in his eyes.

Sakura has Hinata's shocked face over a steaming cup of tea.

Naruto has smug and... worry? She knew he didn't have internal vizualisation too strongly, perk of the Kyuubi perhaps, but she gleans from him a sense of not-right twisting in the chest.

She saunters over to Lee and Sakura first, a quick nod at the bartender to say she'll come order in a moment. They hug, but it's all fake somehow. Sakura is not nearly as good as Ino is at her kunoichi skills. _She neglected her self control in favour of a destructive temper._

Ino asks about the hospital and Sakura begins to prattle, immediately relaxing into a comfortable topic. Lee sits at the bar stool next to her, like a loyal pet. Ino wonders if he knows that Sakura still isn't in love with him as strongly as she is Sasuke. Sakura is good at lying to herself, but Ino has studied how to recognise attraction in both men and women. No ninja has the luxury of choosing their targets or enemies, be that by age, gender or skill.

She adds in a couple of comments and then excuses herself with a delighted 'listen- I'm absolutely dying for a drink and they do the most amazing liqueurs here, I'll pop back in a sec', and an impish hair toss, before wandering over to the bar tender.

He checks her out, and she lets him, smiling shyly and asking what his favourite drink is.

Men so often like the illusion that you can't help yourself, your body betrays your real interest. He may not have heard about her as kunoichi tend to be overlooked, but she doesn't think he'd have any information yet. He's still fairly new; The previous bartender who must have been pushing 55 was one of her first targets when she was learning her skills.

While he takes her payment and she sips her drink she idly muses over the lessons that wrinkly ass taught her; if you're going to play a sweet innocent card, you can't let them take everything physical all at once. Repeat interactions with a target are slightly harder- you have to come across as the exact same person while also seeming to reveal more of that person's true self every time.

On her 'off-duty' time, Ino comes across as a mindless chattery Barbie, but she's actually pensive under there. Shika and Chouji know her enough to know this part of the guise shouldn't be broken, so she isn't surprised when a hand gently rests on her shoulder. She twists her head and beams at her spiral-cheeked friend.

"How you doing, darling?" He asks, softly.

She bobs her head and shifts her body language to be animated, cheerful- conveying to the world that she is talking to a teammate.

"Did you see how cute Lee and Sakura are together?" she gushes, "I swear we're going to see little taijutsu monster babies soon," and he laughs and mock swipes at her hair and she huffs and calls him Undie-head, because let's face it that hitai-ate definitely looked like he was wearing pants on his forehead.

"I truly despaired of you darling, talk about things that are not aesthetic!" and they giggle together.

She straightens up back into a posture that is still playful, and cocks her head. "Maa, Chou-kun, what did I miss? Everyone looked like they were talking about some drama before I came in!"

Chouji's face freezes, just for a second, and she pouts. He's so readable. Diplomats and politicians are more of a challenge.

"It's about me, isn't it?" she presses, and he just kind of sighs and looks at her awkwardly.

"Uh- you better, uh, talk to Hinata on this one," They both look over to where Team 8 are sat close-knit, and for some reason Chouji decides to add, "I'll winkle her out for you in a bit don't worry."

Well, Ino can live with that. She turns on a little dazzle for him as a reward, bouncing up to kiss his rather high-up cheek.

Still curious. She prowls through Neji and Tenten in the meantime, swapping anecdotes as Temari makes an appearance, sipping on her drink and enjoying the warmth that fills her. Naruto buys her two shots, since "his constitution" means he can't enjoy it so easily so he might as well spend on people who can. She learns from him that Sasuke is distantly sighted, somewhere. Off on one of his trips doing god knows what. She rebuffs yet another overture from Sai to draw her; they do however have an interesting chat about ikebana. They agree to disagree over several points, and Ino asks him about incorporating some designs she's seen on expensive wall art her patrons/targets frequent into his attack ink drawings.

She's finishing the fourth drink of the night, Sakura just having gone for another round, deciding whether or not to push past comfortably tipsy, when Hinata pops up. She moves with such grace that it makes Ino smile- the Hyuuga heiress has at the very least one part of kunoichi skills down, and Ino approves of it. Too bad she never switches out of that meek mode.

Hinata is rosy, pearl-lavender eyes blinking, and her gaze keeps darting up at Ino before sinking back to the floor. She's at least removed the stutter when alcohol comes. They exchange greetings and Ino hugs her, the most distant of embraces to cope with such a curvaceous chest.

Ino figures the best strategy is to keep pretending like nothing is wrong, ply Hinata with just a little more alcohol and wait for the problem to come out. She steers the conversation through potential avenues, asking about clan business, healing, water manipulation, how pretty Sakura is, Neji and Tenten. It's only when she gets to a sly little joke about Naruto that she finally gets more of a reaction.

"...ano, Naruto-kun is such a gentleman, he's better than I would ever have hoped- you know, I always thought men were meant to be the problem types? But honestly he's been wonderful..."

That. There.

There's a dig there. Time to push.

"Oh I don't know, us girls like to have a little fun now and again, right?" Ino bumps Hinata's shoulder playfully, and keeps her breathing even.

"There's fun and then there's problems Ino. I never would have expected it from you."

Ino pouts, "aww, c'mon, what have I ever done that was so bad?" she wins this confrontation as long as she stays light and playful. Given that Hinata is steadily turning beet-red, it looks like this is a guaranteed victory.

Hinata takes a steadying breath, and the stutter is back for a moment.

"You- you a-and Kiba. He's really hurt."

Ino flicks her eyes over to the muttball of Team 8. He looks fine. She has no idea what Hinata is talking about.

"I should go say hi."

Now Hinata looks stubborn, and Ino can sense the chakra shift in her, getting ready to protect, to fight; "No," she mutters, "that wouldn't be a good idea."

She nods, accepting the compromise instead of conflict, and mentally resolves to find a discrete time to chat to Kiba later on this evening after Hinata the lightweight leaves early with Shino and Neji, but to her surprise after about half an hour Kiba and Shino leave first, Akamaru trailing along.

Well, then. She flirts with the bartender some more, just to give people a misdirection, and then almost a little too obviously announces she's leaving for an early night. It's only just after eleven.

Sakura takes the bait, her eyes darting to the bartender, and this passes around. The silent judgement is back, but then everyone gets back into the swing of their own lives and stories, and Ino is free to slip out and walk home.

She walks home by herself at night, because she is unafraid. The monsters out there she has stared into the souls of many many times. What else is left to discover?

She's aware that there's a few eyes on her from alleyways, and she lengthens her stride, tilts her hips up a little more, adopting an easy sway that is too casual to be a strut and too effeminate for a swagger but keeps people looking. Her legs are long and lean and the gleam of street lights shine highlights onto the front of her shins.

This is all appearance and performance, and skill.

When she makes it home, she strips off her casual clothes and pulls on a night robe, flopping on her futon, toothbrush protruding from one corner of her mouth as she's lost in thought.

She exhales, slow and calm.

By the inhale, she mutters a 'fuck it', and hauls herself up again.

It's time for a midnight visit.

* * *

Kiba's clan smell stuff, so it's not easy to sneak in.

Ino fortunately doesn't bother with sneaking in. She makes sure everybody in the clan can guess she's there with an eye on one of the men. It pays to be underestimated sometimes.

She had hastily showered away the bar smell, keeping her hair out of the water's reach, and now wears a sleeveless rollneck, leather jacket and jeans. Good for showing off her delicate shoulders, casual enough to play coy or more forward or friendzone as need be.

Its easy to spring up to the second floor window of Kiba's building. It's easy to listen and identify him inside, rustling around with something. Akamaru stops and scents her, and gives her a look. She presses her finger to her lips, and he sinks into the best sit.

"What is it Aka- Oh shit-"

Kiba comes padding into view, holding a packet of beef jerky loosely in one hand. It's not just a reaction of surprise. There's clearly some strong emotions going on from seeing her; and attraction threaded in too. It's more than the appreciative glance that the rest of Konoha Twelve get sometimes, or even an accidental boner once or twice- that's a reaction of actual want and she hasn't even moved from her sprawl across his window sill, embraced by shadows.

Hmmm.

"What are you doing here?" His voice is tightly neutral. Tension spreads down his shoulders and into his arms- there is a small crinkle as the beef jerky gets grasped more tightly.

"Hinata had the most interesting things to say about you, I thought I'd come see for myself." It's firmly past midnight now, so she keeps her voice low and smooth. It instinctively invites insinuation, suggestion.

"Yeah, is that right? Haven't you seen enough already?" He's shifting into hostile, a very common Inuzuka reaction. They're volatile, easily provoked, passionate in all its forms and expressions.

"I don't think I know what I'm looking for", she murmurs, amused, and he visibly growls back a, "Damn right you fucking don't. Get the fuck out of here."

She reaches out with her chakra- and there it is, memory, lain out for her both fresh and deep, something he obviously has thought over a lot.

Ah.

It's a jumble of sensation- memory isn't recalled in a strict chronological order, particularly when emotional weight is attached to it. But Ino is a practised interrogator, and she finds herself in the flow of it quickly.

There's coy flirtation, teasing, Kiba working up the courage to push for more, an unexpected high when she appears to look at him over the cup of her coffee and double think before encouraging the move, building lust and a self-doubt and excitement and looking down at his hands and a great inhale, walking her home, a sense of anticipation and disbelief and so many layered glimpses of her, imagining what she likes and desperate to please and - well, Kiba has a thing for her collarbones and her back and clearly a very aural memory, and Ino sees herself in his head as this unholy object of sex, feels him shaking vulnerable and impatient to taste her and his pleasure at making her make certain noises, before an abrupt jarring removal and she hears her own voice, clinical and measured- "_Oops, got a mission. See ya." _and a quiet sickening dawning that she never smelt quite right.

She pulls her chakra back, satisfied. Mystery solved.

She hasn't moved since Kiba asked her to get out and he by now has realised she saw his memory. He turns away and hangs his head, a little embarrassed and still defensive.

"Did you really not feel anything?" he asks, in a small voice.

She shrugs. It's unusual that someone sees or finds her out, so she thinks she'll answer honestly.

"I know what arousal is; I've torn it from people's heads and I've studied it and I can make myself that way- of course, right, because my body reacts right." What goes unsaid is, it's always... distant. She has trained herself to be able to control her reactions consciously, and that means the reality is so very... faint.

She didn't really remember the issue with Kiba happening, but she reckons that mission was about three months ago. It must have taken him this long to mention it to people and make its way through the Konoha Twelve.

"That's sick."

"It is what it is," she says, "you turn into a half-Akamaru, I turn into a nymphomaniac."

"But why did you say yes... if you didn't really want anything to happen?"

It's a good question. Ino can't really remember, so... probably practice? It's good to switch up targets and keep your skills fresh. But that cannot be said.

"You felt a lot. In your memory, I mean," She says instead, "is that how you are every time?"

Kiba's shoulders bunch up. She absently admires the play of shadows on the muscle while he battles his discomfort.

"I, uh, I really wanted you."

She feels a quiet compassion for him, because Kiba hasn't done anything wrong. He isn't her target, he's loyal to Konoha and Team 8 and her to a lesser extent, and they're friends. From his perspective, it was probably a vague wet-dream come true. Ino is normally a selfish person, but here, she doesn't have much to lose, and he deserves to be compensated.

"You can still have me," she offers without any shyness. But that just makes Kiba angrier. He swears at her and tells her to fucking get out again and she slips off the window sill and as she moves away she hears his breathing hitch in a way that has nothing to do with lust and everything to do with a badly suppressed sob.

There aren't many kunoichi skills to fix _that. _

* * *

**A/N: yeah so I was playing around with women&sexuality themes, and Ino comes to mind as the obvious kunoichi to be the protagonist for this. I've read a similar story where Kiba suddenly gets on her mind and she gets magically healed, but I a) didn't want to follow that plot b) wanted Ino to shine more as a competent badass. Which hopefully she is, but also with a dash of god she's a bit of a psychopath- like, sexual content is here but I didn't want pwp lol. **

**Anyways, Please Review/Fav/Follow if you enjoyed and want it to continue!**

**Thanks,**

**~Featheredblade**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch2 of Ino-cence (omg the bad pun... -_-)**

* * *

Things are fucking awkward after that.

For Kiba, Ino means, not for her. She has a great time shopping with Tenten and then she goes to the nail salon to top up her polish collection, and they have the best ever shade of teal.

As far as she can make out, the Konoha Twelve just think that she's a bit of an ass and left him blue-ballsed, because that's what Kiba would have chosen to narrate.

She's decidedly less impressed by the sandals that Mimiko have released this season. Honestly, kunoichi retailers need to step up their game- a wedge heel with no grip tred?

If Shikamaru and Chouji notice her throwing herself more determinedly into her bubbly gossip-girl role, they do nothing but share conspiratorial glances that she doesn't bother to challenge. It's not like they have much they can say to her. She already overhears people calling her fake/easy/critiquing what she wears.

She's sitting at home with her dad, going through some intelligence reports, when Sai drops by. Her father looks faintly surprised when she asks him to set up a privacy zone barrier for Sai and her to chat, but his interest is quickly dropped as soon as the topic of discussion is revealed: flower tattoos.

"You want something you can hide, but if they could be called out with sharp petals you could use them as a blade," she muses, flipping through scrolls and books of botany. She asks why he can't make one up. Sai argues that he has no imagination and needs to base his next tattoo off a real plant.

They agree a time to go over to Ino's mom's flowershop and hunt in the back room for samples. As Sai packs up and goes to leave, he mentions that Shino told him Kiba asked to study his bug colony's mating cycles. "He's only the second person to do so, after you!" Shino had said in wonder.

Ino mulls this over and continues studying a potential crime syndicate. They all have rough upbringings, these criminals coming out of Wave, poverty teaching them the good sides of lawlessness. It's hard not to feel some sort of empathy for them, and know that if their circumstances of birth had been reversed, Ino would either have been the same, or a common whore.

She initials another report to indicate she's seen it and sighs, stretching out her back. Full cobra is such a lovely release, she stays in the pose a moment.

Sai never tells her something for no reason. He's a good informant like that, trained after years of Danzo. She shifts into a side stretch, extending her intercostals, and ponders what Shino's bug colony of specially developed kikaichu have as a mating cycle that would possibly interest Kiba.

Ah. Pheremones. _She didn't smell quite right._

She gets summonsed by the Hokage to interrogate a political prisoner from the Land of Rice the next day. She walks down the halls and sees the prisoner before he sees her. The man is suited, sitting in his chair gingerly, loose ribbon binding his wrists a mere formality. He's all nervous.

When he sees her walk in the room, he relaxes. His legs shift wider in his chair, shoulders back, and his foot taps restlessly. He thinks she'll be easy.

And she is, smiling and delicate, dressed in a white shirt with a cream bra just a little too thick for the fabric so it shows through, and innocent sky blue skater skirt. She asks him if he would like any tea or coffee, because of course she's not the real interrogator- she's just the assistant dogsbody round here. That makes him get a little more nervous again, but he thinks she's a loose talker when she tells him, bending over to pour his tea, that it's likely just Houza doing routine questions because Ibiki is on leave.

Houza does indeed come in, a stern shinobi with a shock of grey hair but far too stiff demeanour to be Kakashi- his job is theoretical not on the front lines. He has a permanent five o clock shadow, and handles things briskly. It is a political prisoner and a civilian, so violence is not necessary.

Ino excuses herself for a bit and then comes in preparing to move the prisoner back to his guarded rooms, then pretends that there has been a delay in preparing the guarded rooms. She settles herself against the back wall, humming a bit and eyes darting around awkwardly, as though she wants to look at him but is embarassed to be caught doing so.

"Been in the job long miss?" He smiles, trying to put her at ease.

"Oh- uh, no- is it really that obvious?" she murmurs and blushes.

"You're fine, it's just not my first rodeo." He rolls his eyes and lifts his wrists slightly. She shifts her posture into interested, tilts her head at him a little more, silently prompting him.

"Grass held me for a little while," he explains, "those fuckers were rough."

"Did you get to see the daimyo's palace? My friend Ami always said she wanted to visit!" He chuckles,

"Uh, I guess once when I got the official pardon. Mostly I was in the east part of the city, where they keep the merchants. Bit of a dumb thing to do, could have bribed any one of them."

She keeps him talking for another 5 minutes and then, as planned, the update that his rooms are ready comes through. She escorts him, and keeps blushing, and as they walk she explains about how her father is a friend of Houza's and one shogi match they bet on where to place her. She keeps messing up though.

"Well, you have a lovely figure, I'm sure you'll be a stay-at-home in no time," the prisoner says kindly to her, as she hands him to the guards. Ino is sure to take the back route up to the Hokage's office and deliver what she knows.

* * *

She passes Kiba on the way out, while picking up some frozen ice cream mochi at the nearby stand. She smiles at him, and he flushes and drops his gaze. The woman manning the stand hoots in laughter and shakes her head at her.

"Young woman, you done that boy a dirty!" she chuckles.

* * *

In the end, its Kiba's ridiculous stubbornness that surprises her.

She's in the training grounds with Choji, letting him blow off some steam (Ami, the girl he's seeing, had the actual nerve to question why he added sesame oil in his chilli mix. Choji is livid.) She's darting around him, dodge and weave, enjoying the burn in her calves and sharp edge in her lungs that come from exertion.

Choji's arm extends out, tunnelling past her, and she arches her back to move away from him; she has to think about how to alter her shinobi attire to be both distracting and also practical. Bare skin marks and bruises easily, and she needs that shit pristine for the next mission. So she's in a lavender skin tight rollneck and shorts with shinguards, bandages on her feet, heels kicked off because her balance is- well, _on point, _enough in stilettos and today is just fun.

She hears Akamaru barking off in the distance as she rolls with the next blow, and soon they have an audience.

Choji is starting to mellow out, his control coming back to him and the mood of the spar turning playful. He swipes at her legs and she probes back, a laugh huffing out of him as it switches into dances between friends who have known each other since birth.

Ino's footwork becomes too solid as she absorbs a strike to her quad and her nose wrinkles, automatically chiding herself for the mistake. She resolves to do better, be better.

She steps inside Choji's guard and her elbow comes at his jaw, a light pivot and brushing hit, but at that point his knuckle jabs her just under her ribcage. She exhales long and heavy from the jab, and giggles.

"Seal of reconciliation?"

"You just lost," Choji grins, and Ino swears she can hear the eyeroll.

She flicks her sweaty hair at him and steps away, unladylike snort, eyes already darting towards Kiba and Akamaru. The giant dog lowers his head, white shagged ears tipping back. The body leans back, hind leg extending.

"Ohayo Kiba!" Choji hollers. She gives a wave as well, to be nice- his body language is apprehensive and tense.

Kiba crosses the respectful distance he'd maintained while they were sparring. He carries a scroll in his left hand; his right is holding on to the webbing of his jounin vest.

She thinks the scroll is for her, since it's her his shoulders are twisting towards, but after a second he turns his head and addresses Choji.

"Mission for you old boy," Kiba offers, "Naruto says it's a good one. They need someone with detonation experience."

Choji's face and his apple spiral cheeks crunch in anticipation. "Do I have time to read it or should I use that time to say goodbye to Ami and pick it up on the way?"

"You've got half a day if I heard Mr Hokage right," Kiba reassures him, handing over the scroll. His eyes flick to Ino and there's a slightly strained smile, before he seems to centre himself again and clap Choji on the shoulder.

Choji reads the scroll with thoroughness, before shaking out his joints, readjusting his headband and bidding them goodbye.

It's always good practice to tell your loved ones goodbye before a mission, even if they've insulted your cooking. Nobody wants the last thing they said to you to be in anger.

This leaves Kiba and Ino standing together in the middle of the training ground, Akamaru several feet away. The dog seems preoccupied by a scent or two on the grass and earth, nosing along trail after trail and discarding them.

Ino assesses him and gives her best 'girl-next-door' smile; close lipped, showing serenity in the line of her cheeks.

"How's it going?" she asks after a moment. _Friend,_ she has to keep telling herself, _Friend. _She still reads him and his unease like any other target.

Kiba inhales at her voice. He decides to press ahead.

"Listen- uh, the other night," he starts, "I, um. It's been on my mind."

"Oh don't worry Kiba," she waves it off, "things happen, you know!" But he interrupts her- "No, I just wanted to- I feel bad for you!"

Ino places her hands on her hips and fixes him with a stare. Even slightly sweaty after sparring, she's still glorious. Nobody should ever feel_ bad_ for her. She decides to drop her gloss a little.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Kiba meets her gaze and his pupils are, she notices coolly, a little dilated. Perhaps this attraction thing was a bit more for him than she thought. He's already committed to the hard part of the interaction and now he has to keep going.

"Uh, Ino. You're gorgeous, I mean, you know that. You probably have men drooling over you all the time, actually like seduction...stuff is your specialization so what the fuck do I know? But, it- ok, I know I'm a total horndog sometimes- but like, it felt wrong that you were, well, faking it, I guess. I-intimate stuff like that, you know, you should only do it if you want to."

Ino is entirely unimpressed.

"I did want to. Wasn't like we did anything non-con."

"But why?" Kiba is looking at her a little more intensely now, as though her answer really matters to him. "If it wasn't because you were- uh, turned on, why did you let me touch you? Why did you pretend all that stuff? Why did you say I could still have you?"

Ino wrinkles her perfect nose. She doesn't really have an answer that won't offend him. The silence drags on.

"I just- ugh, forget it."

"What?"

"Can I see what it's like when you drop the act? If I tried when you weren't faking?"

Ino reaches up and adjusts her ponytail casually. He's surprised her by the request, but she's backpedalling and doing her best to stay centred.

On the one hand, she can't see much that Kiba would like about letting him see an unresponsive body. On the other, a small voice in the back of her head considers that maybe training with Kiba would be helpful for scent. If he lets her know what things help her smell right, that's another skill added to the arsenal.

Potential of messing up a comrade's working relationship with her or training benefit?

She's a kunoichi. The training benefit wins so she sticks her hand out to make a deal.

"I'll do it if you help me smell right." Kiba's face makes her want to laugh- it clearly wasn't the response he expected, and he's apprehensive but he shakes her hand and then drops it quickly, standing there again.

She raises her chin impatiently.

"So?"

"Wh-What? Now?!"

"Why not dumbass? What else are you going to do?" She tilts her head playfully and then remembers to stop it- because he just said to drop the act.

Kiba raises his hands, palm out to her. "Wow. You are, uh, way more intimidating all of a sudden."

She snorts at that, not bothering to suppress it, and rolls her eyes. She's still not quite sure how to act freely but settles for a coarser personality mantle than the one he's met. She uses it to pick up guys in bars out in rural areas.

"I live by myself. Feel free to try and surprise me yet again with god knows what, we'll call it stealth training."

Kiba bites his lip for a second, shaggy hair falling into his eyes, and his chakra spikes excitedly. Akamaru clearly overheard 'stealth training' because he perks up from where he'd been exploring metres away.

Ino's chakra remains under her control at all times. It has to remain placid whenever she's posing as a civilian, and she has to be able to consciously spike it as an 'excited ninja'. She's silently grateful to whoever let her learn that skill easily as she gathers the energy into her left hand and abruptly taps Kiba's chest.

"Tag," she says, and shunshins away.

* * *

The familiarity of ninja tag seems to have eased whatever was going on in Kiba's head, because he comes across her before and after a quick body-bag mission and both times there's no unease or awkwardness.

If anything, he smiles at her with a hint of '_just you wait_' and while Ino is fairly sure that there is nothing he can do she won't have already encountered, she still looks forward to the attempt.

She's trimming some split ends off her blonde mane, debating whether or not to use leave-in deep conditioner the next time she showers, when a rock hits her window shutters. She rolls over to the window, and sticks her head out.

"Thought you were going to play stealth!" she calls.

Kiba shrugs, feral eyes squinting from a smile. Akamaru isn't with him.

"I figured I'd keep you on your toes. Mix up the approach, you know."

"A tactical assault?" she flirts back, already slipping into a role from instinct.

He scales the wall with his chakra and slides onto her window ledge.

"Hi. Can I come in?"

"Sure." She's aware that she could potentially look 'hot' right now, in her baggy sweatpants with kunai sown in and tank top that shows off her shoulders and sleek abs. But mostly she's just cutting her hair and has no makeup on and is as close to guard down as a ninja can get.

He plops on her futon in an easy way that irritates her a little.

"Presumptive much?"

Kiba's eyes blink at her, dark and shadowed against the glow of her bedside lamp. His hand pats the comforter next to him, and she slinks over, sitting next to him.

"I just thought we could, uh- get used to being next to each other," he says. Ino smirks, the quirk of her mouth wry, leg pressing along his, instantly leaning into his side, giving no doubts as to her intent.

"Did you mean like this? Or like this?" She curls her legs under her and shifts her side away, rests her head on his shoulder, and suddenly it's a tender innocent moment.

Kiba sighs. His cheeks flush a little red.

"Drop it, Ino. I didn't come here to be made fun of. "

"Why did you?"

"To, I dunno, try and make you easier around me and then maybe you could relax into it, we'd see if there's anything there."

Ino hums, and keeps her head on his shoulder, idly cracking the joints on her fingers.

"I still can't really believe this is happening," he says quietly, into the stillness between them.

"I still can't really believe you feel sorry for me," she replies and somehow that makes Kiba cackle, little huffing pants of laughter that she feels as shakes in her shoulder-pillow. One hand comes up absentmindedly to ruffle her hair as he calms down.

"Ino," he says, trying to keep his tone serious, "It feels fucking amazing. The fact you only know it because you've, quote unquote, torn it from other people's heads, that's enough to make me pity you for what you're missing out on."

Ino gives a limp boneless shrug. She's relaxed herself right now, as Kiba is a comrade. There's no self-pity. She prides herself on her skills and if she has to make sacrifices for them, well, so does everybody else. That sparks into a question, rolling off her tongue before she's fully aware she's said it out loud.

"What have you given up to fight like an Inuzuka?"

Kiba thinks about it for a minute, his legs unfolding out in front of her.

"Privacy," he murmurs at length, "I think, privacy, and I know there are things about me that drive people away. Self-control isn't really our strong suit. There are times where I feel like I'm being pushed towards being a beast, and I lose the parts of me that make me human."

Ino's heard those words out of far too many mouths. But this is the first time she's found that she cares more like a therapist than an interrogator.

"Is it the killing?" she says lightly, "Is it too easy?"

He glances at her out of the corner of his eye. It's a surprised look, and Ino realises once again she's been underestimated. Kiba knows her as a nice friendly member of Konoha Twelve who does seduction missions, which presumably just entails looking hot all the time.

"I work in T&I for a reason," she answers the unspoken question, and he nods to himself.

"Not just the killing. There's days where... where it's like my senses are still in Beast-Mode. Where people are just pack or enemy to me. Where like, I don't see human interactions the same way? Am I making any sense?"

"Completely." She nods, and her mind latches onto the task of matching his breathing, inhale for inhale, exhale for exhale.

"It's, uh, not easy to come back from sometimes."

"What helps?"

"Hinata pours tea for me." She can't contain the laughter, and he swats her side indignantly, "Oi! I'm serious! It just, kind of feels like everything clean and sane and put together, y'know?"

"Favourite tea?"

"Sencha jasmine blend...," he reveals, and then almost as an afterthought,"...which you smell of, sometimes."

She drinks it sometimes when she writes reports. The fact he's noticed that about her makes her smile, and without thinking too much she presses a kiss to his cheek.

"What was that for?" He sounds bemused, and she shrugs, settling against him, feeling the _Friend_ bond more comfortably.

They're ninja, so they don't fall asleep together. The quiet and the moment together expands until Kiba finally stretches, getting ready to go.

"Did you achieve your goals?" she asks dryly, "mission accomplished?"

"I guess I did," he smiles at her, shadowed face a little softer in the night, and leaves.

She goes to brush her teeth and after some reflection (literally, in the mirror) she realises that she is somehow touched by the fact Kiba is, in his misguided way, trying to reach out and fix her.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading! Plz fav/review/all feedback gratefully received, and hope you and yours are safe in these strange times :) **

**~featheredblades**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews, you've inspired me to keep going :) **

**Ch3 of... Ino-cence**

* * *

Ino's mother swings by a couple of days later, a generous offering of cuttings in her arms. She's always foibing off excess greenery to people. Ino originally thought this was terrible business sense, essentially giving your product away for free, but now she's come through T&I she sees the other aspects. Ino's mother has green fingers most cannot match, so it is rare the cuttings can grow to bear their own fruit in the hands of others, but the appearance of easy gifting is great press.

"Kaa-san," she smiles, pressing a cheek to her mother's own, "you know I've taken all the best light for my foxgloves and solanum laxum vine!"

Her mother eyes the vine, carefully directed over a wood lattice in the corner of her apartment where the sun hits longest, and hums her approval. The purple bell vine and bomarea she holds will have to go to someone else.

They exchange gossip and Ino learns that Kurenai may have been seen on her first date since Asuma died. The mention of her sensei makes her will of fire dim slightly, and she decides after her date with the T&I info group, she'll try to find Shikamaru.

He's probably training his adorable group of brats right now, which makes her grin. For someone so lazy, he simply broadens his shoulders and takes on more responsibility as the tasks roll in. Ino reckons he'll appreciate a forced break under the guise of 'I have news to deliver'.

The T&I info group meet away from the labs and facilities. There are two reasons for this, firstly that the labs and facilities are sometimes quite unappealing environments, and secondly, that keeping information reviews next to where sources are held is stupid. Like, Iwa-level stupid. Ibiki was held there one time and when he escaped brought half a dossier of overheard tidbits with him. The first thing he did was insist Konoha could not do the same.

Ino strolls into the airy courtyard and looks fixedly at the two children playing with some plucked leaves in the corner. The mirage shimmers and the genjutsu drops, leaving a bored Chunin who waves her in. They've soundproofed the rooms with a Seal Barrier so he doesn't know anything if an enemy village take him.

Idly she examines her nails, checking they're still good to go, and grey haired Houza and Anko and Rojitu join her.

"Genma's going to be late," Anko announces, lazily sprawling along her side of the traditional low table, "Anyone want some fucking tea before we start?" She exaggeratedly bites her lip.

Anko taught Ino the start of what she knows, but not all of it. She was the one with the diagrams, the demonstrations of seedier, mechanical aspects to attraction and arousal, who first had Ino try and torture someone with lust. It makes for a slightly weird dynamic sometimes, because Ino now has a wider arsenal than simple physical stimulation, and while she is grateful for Anko's mentorship she scrapes and chafes against her brazen approach.

So Ino gracefully pours the tea, and smiles at Houza, who is as ever a professional but she can still see him swallow at her gentle wrists and careful movements.

Houza would be the kind of target who appreciates tradition, who admires her proper seiza, who will gaze half longingly at a thick obi precisely because it hides so much, it denotes a modesty and propriety one then naturally wonders about breaking.

Ah, leave him be, Ino chides herself. She hasn't had a challenging mission in just over a month and turning to colleagues to practice isn't good manners.

They start with the basic debrief. Although Naruto has an amazing ability to unite people through impassioned speeches, the down and dirty of it is Hidden Villages and cities work against each other, Allied Force or not. Threats of crime syndicates, smuggling, war profiteering, drug rings and racketeering are still out there. The Kages might be on board together, but the tone at the top doesn't always trickle down to everyone in the Villages.

This last fortnight, Houza Ino Anko Rojitu and Genma have been investigating a set up of extortion for farmers in the Land of Rice. It's not of direct threat to Konoha yet, but they reckon it's implicated several of the Daimyo's extended family. The middle men are frustratingly shadowy, but Rojitu as their travelling correspondent managed to uncover a local lending-house which kept apparently decent records- with, what's more, full names attached to each transaction in and out.

Any ninja worth their salt would use a fake name, or someone else's name to implicate them, but these show transfers for at least three middle men (one of which had a cut of what they presume is profits sent to that political prisoner she lightly skimmed in the Hokage Tower) who they had already marked as likely, using faces alone.

Anko has a surprisingly good artistic hand for being able to draw out what Ino learns from the Mind Transfer Jutsu, so she is the profiler.

Houza is currently collating the reports, to send up to the Hokage for a weekly briefing. Intelligence is gold dust for assigning missions and turning profits, so even if it doesn't actively involve an attack on Konoha, the T&I team are busy trying to find out.

Genma ambles in, chewing senbon as ever. He, like Rojitu, is more of a travelling correspondent, part of the intelligence network that Jiraiya helped set up decades ago. He's here on this case as he was the first one to put together the pieces of systemic extortion, and Anko decides on the spot that he'll help Ino in finding the middle men.

"Go to the Daimyo's court, if you have to," she authorises after a moment, "Liaise with Hatake and see if we can bundle you onto any other missions headed that way- we don't want your timing to show up as suspicious."

Houza documents their next steps, carefully adds a risk matrix (their Hokage has a short attention span sometimes so they have developed shorthands) and chakra signs it.

"Thank you for your time, everyone," he acknowledges, rising in a stately manner. Ino beams back; she likes Houza's approach. Short and sweet.

As she leaves, she blows a kiss to the poor bored Chunin guard, just to mess with him. The Codebreakers are only a four minute walk away, and the sun is gleaming on her, and she knows she looks fabulous. It is always exceedingly important to make an entrance going into Shikamaru's place of work.

There is a blonde girl called Shiho who works there who is helplessly attracted to Shikamaru. Ino told him once while they were in the hot tub together. Her teammate had just scoffed and "I like blondes who know how to use their assets." She'd fluttered her eyelashes at him and he'd given her an appreciative once over and then burst into laughter. People used to say that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio could never find anything more than friendship in each other, not when they'd grown up so closely.

Ino knows differently. That was before her skillset expanded. But her teammate is wonderfully analytical, logical, can distance his mind from his own body. He's tactful, so he doesn't ask too much. But there's a lot unsaid between them, and he notices absolutely fucking everything. He knew from maybe a week into her seduction training. They respect each other as teammates, and for that reason he doesn't blow her cover, and she doesn't manipulate him physically.

Verbally, however, is still fair game.

She wanders into the Codebreaking facility, a plain non descript office, which has a sign over the door proclaiming it to be accountants for a small merchant family.

"Shika, my love," she calls, making her voice as sweet as possible, "are you around?"

And as ever, Shiho is sitting by the door and as ever, Shiho bristles.

"Ohayo, Ino-san." the blond murmurs reluctantly.

"Ah! Shiho-chan! I didn't see you there- why, is everything alright? You look so pale today you almost blended in with the walls!"

"Oh, no, no, I'm fine," Shiho adjusts her glasses. "What can we do for you here?"

"Well, I'm just madly keen to get a message to Shikamaru. He had genin training planned today, is he in yet?"

Shiho looks like she would rather give this information to Kumo-nin than her, so Ino adds some sweetener. "...sorry, I can go ask one of the other Chunins if that's easier, I just presumed you would know."

This reminds Shiho that she knows more about Shikamaru than Ino does, which means she can lord it over Ino. People love feeling like they're the one on top.

Primly folding her hands, Shiho fixes Ino with a hidden smugness. "He told _me_," she announces to her supposed rival, "that he was briefing the head of the hospital about some... things."

"Things?" Ino queries, and Shiho looks like she can't help but be happy that she's going to have to break this to Ino.

"You know, um. Important things. Beyond your clearance. Shikamaru told me they might be going code Black."

Ino looks chastised, and carefully brings a blush to her cheeks. This idiot is good at her job but Ino is better at hers, taking information without giving real back.

"That's okay, I guess I'll call on him another time," she nods, stepping away, "thank you for your time Shiho-san. Shika says you're always reliable."

(That bit is kind of true, if you leave out most of the quote= 'She is always reliable, dependable even, at making errors- it's these two same transcription mistakes. Mendokusai.')

So now Ino hops to the hospital to drop in on Sakura and Shikamaru, ostensibly to deliver intel on the Rice farmers, but really to give them some entertainment.

* * *

"Hey pig," Sakura greets affectionately, kissing her cheeks, "glad you've shown up. I'm staging an intervention with Shika-kun here. He's been ignoring me for twenty minutes!"

Shikamaru, for his part, raises an eyebrow at her (she didn't miss the shadow twitch in the corner in case she were an imposter). "She wants me to ask Temari to marry."

Ino grins, wide and mischevious. "Well, you do like blondes who can use their assets, right?"

"I like her very much but marriage is troublesome."

"If you say that one more time without a good testable reason I will punch you." Sakura's temper has not cooled over the years- it's just got a longer fuse. She tends to give people warnings first now.

"But the kids and the nagging and the housewifery and just... ugh", Shikamaru whines, hands in his pockets.

"Shiho-san sent me to you both, she's still desperately trying to have Shika's babies. Also told me you were on some Code Black material," Ino interjects, "I've come to bring you an update on the Fields of Ryo project."

"Thanks for the save darling, but I think Sakura will eat me alive on this one, no distractions."

The Team Ten members watch as Sakura's forehead starts throbbing dangerously.

"She's building up a proper rant in there," Ino observes, in a side stage whisper, "let her say it or she'll chase you around the walls for the rest of the day!"

Sakura appears to have had enough of this, and she slams one fist into her other palm.

"ALRIGHT LISTEN UP SHIKAMARU," she bellows, pink hair writhing, "YOU HEAR ME OR YOU'LL FEEL MY FISTS!"

"Kinky," Shikamaru mouths to Ino, amusement in his dark eyes.

"IF YOU EVEN EVEN THE SLIGHTEST RESPECT TEMARI-SAN, YOU SHOULD ASK HER TO MARRY YOU! SHE DOESN'T NEED TO SAY YES BUT ASKING IS A SIGN THAT YOU TAKE HER SERIOUSLY, NOT LIKE SOME- SOME, FALLEN WOMAN! AND SHE'S-"

"Wow there's actual logic in this. Want me to get popcorn?"

"-THE KAZEKAGE'S SISTER SO THE LONGER YOU STAY CASUALLY TOGETHER WITHOUT ASKING HER THE MORE IT'S A SLIGHT TO SUNA-KONOHA RELATIONS! DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO WELL BRED WOMEN WHO GIVE UP THEIR PURITY WITHOUT ANY PROMISE OF SECURITY?"

That hits a little bit for Ino. She's had more than a few missions where her target was a crime ganger who liked the idea of defiling purity, of breaking the aristocratic classes because they couldn't reach them simply by money. The girls that aren't Ino don't recover.

She's reminded of how delighted a target seemed at 'making' her 'learn' to perform and enjoy oral on his frankly undersized junk. He'd been a slow repeat seduction, and at high dinners he would stare at her heavily before suggesting his delicate little flower might want to go downstairs. There are men who like to break. In the end, after she got what she wanted, she made him sterile. Ino never stuck around long enough but she's pretty sure he was murdered. A line of criminals, broken.

Ino examines her nails critically. One is not as perfectly almond as the others, she'll need to grab a file.

Sakura meanwhile has grabbed Shikamaru's shirt and is haranguing him- he hasn't bothered to move the shadows or ask for Ino's help, so she's sure he's fine. Sakura means well, at least, and Ino does kind of think Shikamaru would be a good life partner with Temari, if the whole distance and two different citizenships and politics thing doesn't get in the way.

She _was_ here to deliver a report though, wasn't she? Kami, what a fuzzbrain. Ino places a hand lovingly on her own hip, cocking it out and coughs a prim little 'ahem'.

"Darlings, as much as I adore you both infinitely, I have come on business. Forehead, you can wring Shika out later but I have to debrief him first."

Grabbing Shika and Shunshin-ing out to the nearest park is totally not a selfish or tactical retreat.

* * *

Shikamaru lazily grins at her once he regains his balance.

"Look at you, miss saviour," he teases, "should I get you a medal?"

"Only if it matches my outfit," she smiles back, twirling around. They share a moment to laugh at Sakura, and it's just plain easy team camaraderie. Shikamaru has been there for her, forever. He's seen her be an idiot and be amazing and be everything in between and for all his grousing about how troublesome things are and how annoying she is, they work well, and they like each other because they work well.

He folds his arms and settles against the nearest tree, shifting into work mode. "So, Field of Ryo- new developments, hit me?"

"You'll recall we already had a shortlist of likely candidates to be involved based on our understanding of the political arena. Our travelling correspondent has uncovered a lending-house with financial records which featured three names cross referenced on that shortlist, including record of transactions to Codename Scarlet Hopper whom I personally conducted a Level 1 interrogation on, no mind techniques, which was useful but irrelevant to Field of Ryo. The three names are now our main focus of priority.

"We have now engaged an additional travelling correspondent, set up the profiling for the three targets and are requesting time at the Rice Daimyo's court subject to other mission statuses. I will be using mind-scans where possible, re-engaging with Scarlet Hopper and preparing to go into the field if a match is made."

Shikamaru nods, stroking his chin lightly. It's a habit he picked up from Asuma- he still uses his hands for the most high concentration encounters but it is an increasingly common sight.

This reminds her about the Kurenai news, and she holds her tongue until Shikamaru has finished digesting and sorting the intelligence into his bigger picture. She knows when that is because his posture changes and he makes eye contact with her again.

"You didn't happen to watch Mirai last week did you?" Ino teases him, the opening bait. He sees straight through it, but plays along anyway; Shikamaru can be a very generous partner sometimes (Temari rarely gossips but Ino picks up stuff, has wandered through her mind in her cautions about Suna-nin and loyalty, and well... Ino just knows Shikamaru.)

"I didn't," he answers her in his drawl, "funny you should say that though, Kurenai mentioned Hinata looks after her sometimes on the weekends but Kiba took an evening."

"Not Shino?" Ino is actually surprised anyone would leave a kid with Kiba. He's, kind of... rough and tumble and gung-ho in a way that says 'we'll break every rule a parent sets in five minutes flat'. Shino at least seems like he'd have a creepy but responsible vibe going on.

Shikamaru shrugs in that endless way he has. "Maybe he wasn't free. Kiba stepped in last minute."

"Huh."

"I'm glad she's making a bigger family, aren't you?"

And Ino smiles, bittersweet memories of Asuma and Kurenai together. She is, actually. Kurenai deserves another chance at happiness. And they had that- happiness, concealed because of their work.

"Yes.." a pause, "It's never enough, is it?"

"No." He tightens his grip on his jounin flak vest. She sends out a thread of her chakra, soothing and calm, and as their minds join (as easy as breathing, after years of practice) they exhale revenge and inhale resolve.

They will be better, for him.

This resolve follows Ino as she trails through the market on one of her routine chats and shops. She picks up a civilian trade dispute in the making, and a supplier issue with the smaller ninja sandals; the Academy standard-issue might have to be more flexible in the near future. People talk to her when she wants them to, the old mothers and gossipers and indignant traders. People dismiss her when they're asked about her, when she wants them to.

Asuma knew what she was worth. He was the one who suggested her path, who pushed her to her father and Anko and the first of the whores that she studied. He was the one who tailed her on her learning missions. In the early days, Ino resented and chafed and felt betrayed, but now she has a broader view on things. He kept her useful, relevant, specialist, moulded her into what she is now and she can never thank him enough for it.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading, and hope you stay safe :) **

**~featheredblades**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch4... of Ino-cence**

* * *

"Holy flipping- mmmpfhhh!"

"Shut the fuck up Naruto," Sakura hisses, "don't swear in front of the fucking baby!"

"Yeah, boss..."

"Ugly, are you menstruating or broody?"

Shizune, now one of Naruto's senior aides, tactfully intervenes by dragging Konohamaru and Sai away from the former apprentice to the Godaime and current Head of the Hospital. Sakura has been known to refuse treatment to Sai until her temper cools. Even if she is being a hypocrite.

Naruto pouts. "Mou, Sakura-chan, how am I supposed to know what you do with babies?!"

"Baka- what did you like as a baby?"

That gets an immediate ray of sunshine grin, as wide as it can go, and Naruto crows triumphantly, sure in his answer, "Ramen!"

There is a pause while everyone digests that yes, this is Naruto and yes, that would be his reply. Sakura, cradling her infant charge, abruptly contains a snort of fond laughter. She begins to explain to their hyperactive friend.

"Naruto, babies need to be kept warm and dry and clean, and they need food-"

Shizune waves Konohamaru and Sai out of the Hokage's Office, documents completed, and tells the receptionist to let the next appointment in.

Ino enters, ignoring how the receptionist gives her a scathing up-and-down examination.

"Ino-san," Shizune greets, "what can the Hokage do for you today?"

"My mother's sent me for your order but I can come back if you're busy," Ino replies, looking at Sakura and a baby and Naruto and the Hokage's desk with a questioning head tilt.

Shizune smothers a chuckle. "Sakura's team had a civilian die during premature childbirth a month ago. The research cluster was working on a chakra-enhanced stasis unit, originally designed for field operations but they figured starting with a small/non existant chakra signature as a trial run would be more stable. That there is a baby that appears to have had enhanced growth from enhanced chakra exposure. It looks closer to two months old than what would be a three week old- ah, I'm rambling, you'd have known that from your med-nin training."

"The same material from new teachers brings fresh insight," Ino demurs, mind already pondering what it would be like to use Shintenshen no jutsu on the baby. Is it the mind that's grown too, or is it just the body? Could this be used on all children, even after birth? If they grow faster, will that continue out of the stasis unit? Will they die faster? "Is it going to stay in the Orphanage?"

"Well, Sakura brought the little test subject in for appraisal by the Hokage, but she said she has an observation plan-"

As if on cue, Sakura without looking brushes her chakra against Ino, dismissing her as a threat, and begins to tell Naruto she plans to foster the child with Hana Inuzuka for the next few months, reviewing every month, before moving to the Orphanage.

"We need Hana on active duty though," Naruto objects, "the Haimaru twins have been requested by three civilian contracts over the next six weeks, dattebayo!"

Ino watches as Sakura rocks back on her heels and begins to hash out the specifics of the research project with her former Team 7 teammate. She turns back to Shizune and asks for her botanic order, listening to two topics as she scribbles down notes on a spare scroll.

"Brilliant, Shizune," she purses her lips, scanning down the items, "I reckon we'll be able to source most of those quickly- we cultivated a succulent patch in the greenhouse a month ago in time for the season change."

"That's fantastic. Say hi to your mother from me." Ino turns to leave but Shizune hesitates, "Oh- and, um, one more thing,"

"Shizune-san?"

"One of the chunin was looking for you, Takishi Idekyo? Broader set, usually in the Messaging Squads?"

Ino folds her expression carefully into a smile. She had needed to intercept a couple of messages and Idekyo-san was an easy route in. Couple of 'happenstance bump-into's, a little hint or two, and some teases in public were enough to convince him she was so desperate she'd visit him at work for fun. She'd pickpocketed and duplicated his keys in the time you could say 'freshen up for round 2'.

Shizune picks up what kind of relations they might have and her lips thin into a disapproving line immediately. "Ah. Do I tell him I haven't seen you recently?"

"That would be great, Shizune-san," Ino agrees on her way out.

* * *

She returns to her mother's greenhouse to drop off Shizune's order and then sets herself to an afternoon of flexibility training. The satisfying feeling of pushing her limits and sinking into splits and backbends is as usual, but she's decided to add wrist and ankle mobility today. Her toes curl as she folds double in an easy exhale.

The first part of flexibility is passively getting into the stretch. The second, harder part of flexibility is gaining the strength to achieve that full range of motion actively. She takes a rock and twists, using it as an improved weight to aide her in freeing up her spine.

Choji has dropped off some of his steamed shrimp, spring onion and cashew sauce at her flat. She slinks in through her window and spots the dishes neatly left on her table, the door to her kitchen/living room combo open where she left it closed this morning.

He moved through her house with an ease and right to be there that she appreciates absentmindedly while she picks up the dishes. They're still faintly warm, part of his batch cooking. She'll shower and bring them over to the clan household as a token for dinner.

Ino strips, taking the fluffiest towel she owns, discarding her clothes along the way to the shower. Her wardrobe is prestigious, but kami knows she'd like towels that are literal clouds. She takes a moment to inspect her skin while the water warms up- there's a small bruise on her left knee which can stay, but her collarbone has a scrape that'll need disinfectant before it becomes red.

With a sigh she steps into the shower, soaking herself with liquid rivulets. Ino gets on with the scrubby shampooey conditionerey bits while her mind wanders.

The danger with Yamanakas is sometimes if they mentally wander, their spirit will wander too. She feels her links to herself fade and grow as she dissociates and then returns to the present only to move on again.

Going to the clan household this evening will do her good.

She finishes wringing out her hair, blonde tresses sliding over her shoulders and the water slipping down, tracing paths along her thighs and calves and back. It's beautifully soothing, and absently she tries to use her chakra to guide it to the muscles that feel sorest.

Other chakra dances on the edge of her senses, rolling but restrained, locked down. Ino stiffens, reaching up silently for the kunai she keeps above the showerhead. Turning the water off will alert whoever is in her apartment, waiting for her. So she keeps the shower running and gets ready to pad out as quiet as possible, chakra steady and placid. She'll only get one shot to surprise them first.

She relaxes when she hears rustles in the kitchen. Either this is no threat, or they're trying to be nonchalant. A loud sniff, and then stepping feet, curious, and-

"Well fuck me," Kiba grins at her playfully, sweeping his gaze over her dripping nudity. His shoulders are tense.

"I wasn't expecting company," the Yamanaka heiress says, straightening up and chucking her kunai at him in irritation, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"I smelled food," he shrugs, snatching the kunai out of the air almost too easily. His eyes meet hers but quickly go back to drinking her in, as if dazed.

"Uh-huh." She's unimpressed, but hiding her body seems like it would give a message she's ashamed of it, which she isn't. It's a tool, and a damn fine one at that. So Ino doesn't fold her arms and turn away like she wants to, just stares at him. Naked without being remotely sexual.

"Had your fill yet?"

"No," he quips, smiling. But his eyes return to her face to watch her.

"I do have dinner with clan tonight."

"Ah. I scented Choji's cooking. Do I get a 360 while you get dressed?"

She rolls her eyes and, because she wants to, flips him the bird. He laughs, amused with an edge, and meanders back over to the kitchen corner. She picks up her clothes and wanders to her wardrobe to find a suitable dress for family dinner.

"You got tea?" he says, in the quiet that unfolds between them, over the noise of fabric rustling.

She nods- "top shelf, help yourself", and the Inuzuka stretches up gracefully, shaggy hair catching the light in shades.

He takes the old fashioned tea set, which surprises her a little, and sets a kettle to boil.

It's fascinating, the way Kiba sets out the cups and moves through a rhythm which looks both hesitant and practised.

Ino throws whatever dress is in her hands on and brushes her mind along his.

He's got Hinata in his head, the sensation blurry and wavering, mimicking the movements he's seen her do fifty times. His hesitancy is because he's never done it himself. Underneath it is still a vast pool of aggression, thrumming, and an almost obsessive mantra of smell (god does Akamaru really smell like that to Kiba?) and pack is fine and pack is fine and pack is fine and get tea and pack is fine.

He's visibly calming at the familiar smell and way the steam curls and the same routine, even if the cups are a different pattern and the guest coming to sit next to him is blonde, rather than a sedate Hyuuga.

"Let me," she says, making her voice soft and demure like Hinata's, and pours for him like she would. Serene, slight blush, happy to be in the company of her teammate. Timidity belying graceful strength.

"Thanks". Kiba's voice is hoarse, and his gaze fixes on the way she makes his tea, like it's a life saver. He inhales deeply, and sits in silence for a while.

Ino looks up to the heavens and then over at her clock, because she did not forsee playing therapist to a beast-man but the gods have smiled on her; she still has a full forty minutes until her mother and father expect her.

What would Hinata do now?

She'd ask, wouldn't she.

"Rough mission, Kiba-kun?"

"Hell." He grunts, sipping even though it must be scalding on his tongue. "Don't be like her."

Ino tilts her head and sits back, because isn't the whole point of this to mimic something that works to get him rational again?

The canine floating in Kiba must like that movement, because his cheek twitches, like he's suppressing a snarl.

She pauses, observing him, and slowly shifts her damp hair to hang over her other shoulder. His pupils dilate and his breathing steadies.

"Good?" she checks, and he nods, slowly.

"I'm gonna need a voice, wolfman," she chides, keeping her voice light and playful.

"...Yeah. Good." He coughs and sips again.

Ino recognises this is a moment filled with- she wouldn't call it tension, exactly, because they're not in conflict, and it's not quite sexual. Maybe this is a moment filled with Potential.

She threads her fingers through her hair, gold shining in the late afternoon light. His eyes follow her fingers, steady as they slide across the strands.

He swallows.

"Good?"

"Good."

Ino double checks with her eyes that he's happy, and then moves her hair, a lock at a time, so it hangs straight down her back. His gaze is becoming clearer, less dazed, each 'good' a little surer.

"More?" she asks, when her hair is sat as it normally would, hung loose and free.

He says yes, sipping his tea, chakra starting to recentre itself, to become fluid and easy.

So Ino kneels up and starts to plait her own hair, reaching up and around and dividing it into three. Suits her, she was going to wear it that way for her family dinner, and her eyes close for a second as she visualises narrating this to her parents. On second thoughts, maybe not...

She feels the atmosphere shift, hears the hitch in Kiba's breathing. When she opens her eyes again, Kiba's watching her with a darker, hungry look. She knows that one in her sleep.

"More?"

"Yeah." He rumbles, and it feels like walking a tightrope. Ino likes this type of tension, it means her work is going well.

She keeps arching her back to plait the end of her hair, then smooths her hands back up to her skull, lightly massaging her temples.

"More."

She smiles at him, sly and wicked, and sips her tea and places it down with a sense of ceremony before replying.

"You'll get more for every question you answer. Good?"

He rolls his jaw, clearly thinking about it, instinctive stubborn guards going up- but Ino innocently lets out a breathy sigh which firmly decides it for him.

"Good."

"Solo or team mission?"

"Team." It's a ready answer, so she drags her perfect almond nails down her cheeks, tracing her jawline with an artful flourish, cradling her own neck. Her eyelashes flutter, shadowed against her high cheekbones.

"Long trip?"

"Yeah," he says, shifting where he sits, "ran half the night yesterday." He sounds breathless, transfixed by her and whatever connection Ino has unwittingly managed to create. She rewards him by stroking her thumb, long and smooth along her décolleté, to just the top of her dress. It's a scooped neck, loose to be off the shoulders where she wants.

"Hate those ones. Anyone with us die?" Ino keeps her tone neutral as her fingers roam over the fabric along her chest.

"Classified."

Ino can read between the lines. She's been involved in enough cover-ups (at the periphery, obviously)- if the answer were no, there'd be no need to answer classified. She hasn't asked what the parameters are or who the targets were. Kiba would have known not to come to her if it were the kind of mission that "did not take place."

She tilts her head just so, to make eye contact with him, brush up against his mind. He's watching her steadily, eyes clear and shadowed, his self centered. But his mind is still steadily burying layers of emotion, a little angry, a little possessive. To her surprise, some of that emotion is directed at her.

"Am I pushing you too much?" She wonders.

The great thing about minds is even if the subject ignores you, even if they pretend they didn't hear, even if they lie to themselves, even if they've mastered the body- just by floating an idea, a mind reacts to it.

The terrible thing about minds is that associative thought, and how thought is experienced, can be extremely abstract.

Kiba's response to her seems to be a flashing tumbling sense of gravity falling, gritted teeth and feeling her hair slide against his shoulder, laced with tea smells and fresh dew and dirt on his right knee, and watching spiders with Shino.

It took her four months to be able to interpret Shikamaru's thought patterns, and he is infinitely more verbal and linear than Kiba.

Kiba breaks the moment by sipping the last of his teacup, absently disorientating her back into her own body. His eyes flick towards her clock understandingly, and a smirk steals onto his face.

"You know, you're meant to see the prize _after_ you jump through the hoops, Ino-chan," he teases, "It's just basic dog training."

She snorts at him, and he grins back.

"Alright wolfman. I'm going to be late if I don't make a move soon."

She rises and goes to put the tea set in the sink, but Kiba stops her.

"I'll take care of it. Fix whatever beauty shit you need to put on. It'll have my nose running away from you."

"Oi," Ino glares. "It's not beauty shit. This is _my_ place so you can just leave, alright."

Kiba just leans against her counter, lazy smile and fangs peeking through. He seems totally confident in himself.

"You know what, Ino? I dig the bitch vibe... After your family dinner, we'll get you to smell right."

"No deal. Since when do you get to set the terms of this practice stuff? You're invading my flat and I could make you sleepwalk yourself out of it right now."

"Fair enough- drop me a scent trail or a messenger bird when you're not busy, I guess," the Inuzuka responds with a delighted smile and a shaking head.

"What's got you so pleased?" Ino feels a little like she just lost the upper hand somehow.

"Nothing," he hums back, and quickly rinses and puts away her tea set while she moisturizes her legs. As she's unpacking her make-up pallettes, planning tonight's ideal daughter look, Kiba retreats to the window.

"Thanks," he says, and his soft voice makes her look up.

"You're welcome," she says, and finds herself meaning it.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she's presenting Choji's dishes to her mother, ignoring her auntie's despairing looks and smoothly stepping around cousins.

Yamanakas are a loud and exuberant bunch, with strong opinions often engaging in wars of psychoanalysis.

Her second cousin, Inari, is holding court with the children and teenagers of the family. He's telling them in exaggurated whispers how Inoichi and Shikaku helped deliver the peace treaty for the Third Shinobi War, the Yondaime (who is the Nanadaime's father, by the way) watching over every step they took.

Ino continues into the kitchen and hustle and bustle as the dishes get ready to be served, mouthing along with her mother the punchline to one of Sora's jokes.

"And then they decided, if they were of one mind, they could never argue at all!"

Inoichi steps into the room and heads towards the dinner table, and things fall into quiet respect.

"Otou-san," Ino slides into a seat on his left. The head of the clan and their family sit at the centre of this long wide table, with each other family intermingled and mixed as they please around them.

"Ino-chan," he greets her, stately before everyone else. "How is my blossoming flower?"

"Seeking your good health as its sunlight," she responds, tracing a bush clover etched into the dark wood.

Inoichi inclines his head as his wife begins to lay their spread before them, and similarly others up and down are filling the table.

"With a gardener such as my love, I cannot fail to flourish," he smiles.

Ino's father has lived a life of lucky near-misses. He was there for the Third Shinobi World War, the front lines of the Kyuubi attack, dealt with Suna treachery, and Pain's defeat. Those are all the stories that the rest of the clan will chatter about, equal parts worship and analysis. But he came the closest to a loss in the Fourth Shinobi World War, and that is the part they don't talk about.

Ino still remembers his voice curling into her ear, saying goodbye to her as a Tailed Beast Ball hurtled towards HQ.

He suffered intense chakra burns, and partially severed his spine from falling debris. The spine healed, and his chakra remains present, if stunted. As long as his mind has remained sharp and steady, he continues to give for his village and clan until he can give no more. The clan respect him, but they worry behind closed doors, and watch him carefully for any signs of deterioration. Inoichi bears this attention with grace, knowing that fortune smiled upon him and gave more time; for both him and Ino.

Shikaku was not so lucky.

She still hasn't fully untangled Shikamaru's careful web of distractions over losing his father- he buries it so deep and repressed and places all sorts of mental blocks to avoid addressing any sort of grief. Ino knows one day, when they live in a better world, it will all come out. She wants to be there to write down the words he'll say, when being head of the Nara clan and Chief Strategist and Jounin-sensei and Codebreaker extraordinaire all starts being plain sailing.

That makes her remember something Kakashi said to her once, and she half smiles, mentally locking it away, and takes her small personal plate and chopsticks patiently from a little one who babbles that 'kaa-san say give Ino-oba-san'.

"Are you kept busy, Ino-chan?" Inoichi asks, reaching for his pickled fish and sipping on water, "My love mentions you have not been in the greenhouse much recently."

This is his way of checking in on her duties, given that they are in public and most of Ino's T&I work is not common knowledge.

"Hai, otou-san. I've been spending some time with Shika and Cho, but I think I'll be needed on a mission soon."

A quiet smothered snort down the end of the table; one of the clan Chunin, who is just aware enough about what the young Yamanaka heir does.

Ino steadfastly ignores the comment several minutes later to 'watch her like a hawk, no doubt she'll be practising her skills before the 'mission'- bringing shame on us everywhere she walks', with a salacious wink.

Her mother catches her eye, sat opposite her, and offers Ino's favourite seasoned rice and peppers.

They joke about Choji rubbing off on her as she happily digs in, smoothing out her dress, and sightings of Uchiha Sasuke and how Sakura and Lee are definitely getting engaged soon and how well Sai is coming on and bets on the next set of genin teams flow over her. Nanami, Inari and Inoryuiko are squabbling a little to her left in a debate over how sharing dreams is possible.

Ino joins in with conversations, wishing she could capture and bottle the essence of how the clan's chakras all flicker and dance, collectively happy and safe.

As dinner is winding down and the sake comes out and the men sit forward, in anticipation of discussing business amongst themselves, Ino excuses herself to visit her old bedroom for a second- she's pretty sure she left a medical scroll back there which might have included the various stages of infant growth, and the spectacle of the baby this morning (she's mentally named it Speedigro, which she's aware is a terrible name and that's precisely why it's just stuck in her head).

She searches in what's left of her belongings; Ino moved out when she was 18 to the flat she has now, but she kept a token box or two of stuff. She doesn't have any luck, but in the moment of peace her mind idly drifts back to Kiba's pleased expression.

What was he so happy about when she essentially turned him down?

Ino actually hates puzzles. Those are Shikamaru's forte; her approach is usually to solve it by getting more information, or get Choji so mad that he destroys it.

But the only way to get more information is to dig into Kiba, which is, well, not turning him down. She'll have to go see, won't she.

Is it the only way? She's pretty sure he won't have told Hana or Tsume anything, and he definitely doesn't seem like the type to share this sort of practice with his teammates- oh kami, she can just imagine Hinata's face if Kiba told her he'd essentially agreed to do pheremone training with Ino which, one presumes, will involve a lot of physicality...

Ugh. Fine. Mr. Dogbreath won that drop-in encounter, but Ino will win the next one.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for reading, and hope you and yours are well in these strange times :)**

**Feel free to review/fav/follow/pm me if you've got an idea or scene you want to read for Ino/Kiba! **

**~featheredblades**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch5 of... Ino-cense**

**A/N: Dun dun duhhhh- it's here... Mature Content in this chapter, scroll down to the bottom if you want a summary with no... smut. I should warn you I find writing it incredibly awkward, feedback welcome. **

* * *

Luck falls on Ino's side, and she ends up able to kill two birds with one stone.

The T&I info group find one of the middle men in former Sound territory. Miyaji Uhirato. Merchant, 43, had an investigation by Rice for avoiding imports valuations.

Genma has also squirrelled away some information that hints Mr. Miyaji might be unfaithful to his wife.

This poses an excellent opportunity for Ino. She studies the images and sketches Anko sends her, has the travelling correspondent making enquiries in the 'escort agencies' near to where Mr. Miyaji conducts his above-board merchant business.

They hit jackpot when one of the older matrons of an establishment recognises Mr Miyaji's face and provides his cover name- Tsubaki Moramito (for a fee of course, intelligence work in the underworld is a pricey business).

"Tsubaki-dono... has a few particular tastes," the lady imparts. Ino tears the following conversation out of the travelling correspondent's head to make sure that she has every detail perfect.

It turns out she'll need to practice a couple of things, and since she has an offer from Kiba, it makes sense to drop him an invitation. Find out the scoop, as it were.

* * *

Kiba lands on her windowsill with ease.

"Guess this is becoming a habit, huh?" he jokes, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. Ino is surprised- she feels glad to see him, a reaction unusual for her mindset when she starts a target. But if the game is up between them, and she's free to behave however she likes, she can snort and roll her eyes playfully.

"Alright wolfman, ease up- what's the plan first and then we'll see if you get to be a habit..."

Kiba quirks the side of his mouth, exposing a fang. His body shifts to relaxed, and he scans her apartment, inhaling a little. Perhaps he's gaining confidence in the easy camaraderie they seem to have. "Ino, what makes you think I have a plan?! This stuff is supposed to be kind of, spontaneous, right?"

Ino plants her hands on her hips, a perfect eyebrow raised. Her nails are a lovely gentle blushing rose, and her stance is courtesan-poised, shoulders back and chin lifted. She's already sliding into the role Tsubaki-dono will need to see her as.

"Right- right, it's you," he mutters, tousling his Inuzuka mane, "you have a better nose for bullshit than I do." She softens her gaze, because that's a compliment she can preen over. "Just... something you said last time. We'll see if it plays out right."

Ino drifts closer to him, nails grazing over his shins. She makes her breathing unsteady at the point of contact, and carries on this delicate action, fingers skimming along his ankle and one ninja sandal and back up the calf, then the same along the other.

Kiba swallows.

***YOU'RE WARNED. SKIP IF YOU DON'T WANT LEMONS***

"Do... do you have a plan?" His voice is adorably shaky, and his gaze doesn't leave her hands, gliding along the length of his calf and circling one knee, even as they grow close enough that he has to shift his legs wider on the windowsill to fit her between them.

"Maybe," she purrs, palm sliding along his thigh, thick muscle, matching the tension building thick and heavy between them.

"Ino," he whines, gritting his teeth, "no pretending- that's... not what we agreed," but he's looking at her wet lips and hearing her and still falling for it and all it takes is her leaning in, blonde hair rippling over her shoulders, and a delicate whisper, grazing his ear with her teeth.

"I want to, Kiba. Let me practise something on you, no pretending."

She drops her look, and dead calm, coolly, moves her palm higher and higher, until she's pressing against his length. He's rock-hard, like she knew he would be.

"Bingo," she smiles.

"Bitch," Kiba breathes, but he looks dazed, haloed by the afternoon light coming through the window, and- really? Ino brushes against his thoughts with her chakra.

Really?

He's shortcircuited because he's just realised he finds her 'apathetic' vibe hot. Her gaze, penetrating, professional, distanced, is sending waves of heat through him and he's not ready to think about why but fuck he likes it when she looks like he's nothing to her and please and-

Ino pulls out of his thoughts, and smirks at him, rolling her palm along him, feeling his adonis belt twitch.

"I need to practise something," she repeats, voice neutral, looking as impassive as possible, other hand brought up to her lips. With a slow swipe she takes her thumb into her mouth.

It's funny watching it dawn on him, exactly what she has in mind. He braces his hands against her windowsill and his legs part for her further. The impatience pleases her, but let's not get ahead of ourselves- the shinobi pants have to come off first. She steps back for him and he writhes, jerking the fabric over his hips, shucking off his sandals in one motion.

His cock bobs up, flushed red and thick. Ino pauses to scrutinise it, and she can sense Kiba doesn't feel comfortable but likes it in the same squirming mind-blown way as earlier.

"Oh kami," he moans quietly, when she finally sinks down to her knees in front of him, "this is not happening."

Ino reckons she hit another jackpot- Kiba is big. He'll definitely help her goal, and she tells him as such.

"What's your goal?" he breathes.

Ino licks each one of her fingers and then slides them over his cock. He's velvet smooth heat, reassuringly heavy in her hand, as she pumps him with a firm grip. He tilts his head back and swears, the muscles in his stomach jumping.

"I'll be posing as a courtesan for a target who likes throat-fucking," she explains, "My jaw will need stretching out and you're definitely able to choke me if I don't do it right. Hold my hair."

His hands fist in her blonde locks weakly, and he shudders as she sinks down onto him. He tastes- good, actually. Not ice cream, of course, but definitely not the worst she's had.

She bobs her head in his lap, licking and sucking and teasing, warming both him and her jaw up. She had planned to pull away briefly and ask him to start thrusting up into her mouth deeper, but Kiba, as soon as his little moans and twitches subside, tightens his grip on her hair and keeps her from getting back to business.

"Only..." he pants, "only... if you do what I say."

"Fair enough," she replies levelly, wanting to return to extending her lower jaw. He lets her, with a small marvel at her composure, but halfway through, his voice becomes urgent and keening.

"Ino- ha, fuck, Ino... get in here."

The blonde looks up and he's got one hand tapping his temples. He wants her to enter his mind? -ah. She forms the ram seal around his cock, and reaches out.

_There's heat pooling in his belly and he's looking down, nails scrabbling at the wood and sinfully good friction- all he wants is to lose himself in moving but he can't, got to show her! got to show her what was it  
_

With herculean effort, Kiba's essence and mind wraps around her and starts tugging at her mental walls of glass- _feel it for real, _he pleads, _lose yourself until I finish_ and Ino shrugs. Fuck it, she thinks, and it's strange and new to try to undo the poise and distance she worked so hard for. She envisions shattering the glass that separates what is her and what is Kiba and she feels tingles and shivers rippling up her spine.

_Yesss- that way, don't stop,_ Kiba's entire body sings to her, so she smashes down the careful barriers.

_She's fisting blonde hair pistoning her hips faster harder so wet nails lengthening so hard it hurts sparks along his skin fighting for control how can she take this so amazing a swooping flutter along the edge of his toes and he wants to bite into her and ride it out waves higher and higher and don't you dare stop their ears listening to the wet sound as they fuck into the back of the throat and feel it fighting off a gag and reaching for more more oh sweet god that- stuttering humming and the edges of their vision going blurry but they look down at the blonde head they're ramming onto their cock as the elastic band goes taut and ohfucksheswallowsthatjustwhatfuckfuckfuck-_

Ino disengages.

"Ha," he wheezes out, once he's caught his breath, "I just got the literal definition of mind-blown- fuck that's funny."

"Shut up, dogbreath," Ino grouses, still licking along his cock, cleaning up the last of it, one hand coming up to massage her jaw. He left raking scrapes on her skull.

One of his hands cups her cheek, tilting her gaze up to him. He looks fallen apart, flushed cheeks, a huge sigh escaping bitten lips. Dark eyes smiling down at her.

She rises and fixes her hair back to its usual groomed state.

***EXPLICIT SCENE OVER WOOP WOOP***

"...Do I get a debrief?" Kiba says, after awkwardly shimmying back into his shinobi pants. He looks like a dog shaking off water.

Ino side-eyes him.

"What we just did was incredibly reckless."

"Whatcha mean?"

"I thought you just wanted me in your head. But you kept dragging me in, that was- that was- we fused spirits for a little while- those usually end up permanent!"

"Eh, I trust your capabilities," Kiba lolls his head to one side, a small smile blooming across his face, "Did you like it? for me that was... something. Wow."

Ino nods, because once she's removed her instinctive block against taking that risk again, the experience was not unpleasant. She got to do the strenuous practice and not feel any of the strain, though her jaw does hurt like a bitch now. She discovered Kiba will probably be a compatible practise partner for the future, if she stays out of his head.

But that's all dodging the elephant in the room.

"Did you like it?" Kiba presses, "When you felt what I was feeling?"

"It was intense," she says.

"Ino..."

She has too much pride to say it felt good, because then Kiba's pity might be real. But Kiba is stubborn, and he doesn't take diplomatic tact as a reason to drop it.

"It's not a problem if you say yes," he murmurs, unwittingly hitting the nail on the head. "I get it's probably pretty weird to enjoy kind of uh, doing that to yourself?" Ah. Not quite. Ino has no problems with that part.

"I... kind of... yeah. It was good." she says finally, spreading her hands wide and placating.

"And," he moves to perch next to her, tentative, "What would you say if I said I wanted you to learn to feel like that on your own?"

Ino snorts.

"I'm not broken, so don't fucking fix me, wolfman," she bites.

"It's not about broken, Ino. It's about feeling good," he shrugs, "even if it's just with me sometimes. You've still got the skills for dealing with the other jerks in your life, and I know you probably do it for fun but- y'know, it kinda, well- you felt how different that is to your normal practice stuff."

Ino is surprised for a second. How does he kno- until she realises that the whole spirit joining thing went both ways, and he probably felt her reaction to joining him when it happened.

"It is different," she agrees cautiously, "but I don't think it'll work on me and nor do I particularly want it to. That makes for distraction and we both know distraction is lethal."

"You don't trust yourself." Kiba accuses. "You think if you get used to making it about, uh, pleasure with me... you'll do that with other people too. Way I see it is, you're good at faking, that won't change. But this is a safe space, right? You don't fake, and I'm not a target, and we see if we can both feel good. Alright?"

His conviction is what slowly, slowly undoes her. "Okay." She says, in a small huff.

His arm slings over her shoulder. "Thank you for trying it," he says, in a soft voice, and presses a kiss to her temple. "I have to go help Shino shortly, but see you for practise again soon? If you're not on a mission?"

"I leave as soon as I receive an update," Ino replies, wary, "What's with the cutesy shit?"

"Because I'm saying thank you, Ino. I got mind-blown by a beautiful girl and she's just agreed to try more things that might break my mind, body or both. I'm a lucky guy."

She snorts. "Begone with you, dogbreath," and just like that, he's gone with a grin.

* * *

**A/N: wellllllp I feel much cringe about posting this, but it felt necessary to the story. Thank you for reading and feel free to review/fav/follow. Feedback is always appreciated!**

**~featheredblades**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch6... of Ino-cense**

* * *

Ino takes a slow inhale and stares at the mirror in front of her. It's cracked on one side, with smears of make-up.

"Do you have everything you need in your kit, love?" the matron to her left asks.

She glances down at her bag- foundation, curlers, false lashes, body glitter. Ino gifts the matron a relaxed smile,

"Think so, mama. Thank you for allowing me into your home, I really appreciate it."

The matron is somewhat appeased, and folds her arms. "Fresh talent always helps us, and nice ones are good backstage! We run similar to Yui-chan's, but Saffron will have you to save should things go awry."

Saffron turns out to be a woman with Kumo dark skin and a rear that Tenten would gut people for. She's displayed her best asset prominently with a corset cinched tight and high on her hips.

"Whatsya theme?" She asks, with a rough voice from smoking too much.

"Shimmer," Ino grunts, carefully applying false lashes and braiding her hair back.

Ino is in an exotic dancing club in the Land of Rice. She faked a sob story to get here. She obtained a letter of recommendation from 'Yui-san' (a matron of a brothel who is in Konoha's pocket), saying she is a dancer who had an accident and needed a break from the club.

She's here to swim in the sea for a little while and find the target they know as Miyaji. He could be called Tsubaki Moramito, or any other name.

This is her first night. She doesn't want to be the star of the show. She wants to be a little rusty, a less than kilowatt smile. Ino deliberately makes a mistake on the mascara and has to swipe away panda eyes, to give herself bags.

Saffron nods.

"Aight," she says, "take it away girl. Cinnamon is gonna be on centre stage. So you gonna have to circle the booths if you want tips."

Which is exactly what Ino hopes to do.

The club music is loud and pounding and sweaty. She has to twist and weave her way through people at the bar, ferrying free shots on a platter.

Each table she passes, each drunken slob, she gives a tired fake wink and asks if they want a shot. If they say yes and light up, she has to tease them out of their money. You get the free shot and wink, but anything more comes with a price.

Of course, Ino is actually a kunoichi and she has a mission budget for this thing. She doesn't work too hard for the money. She just has to go through the motions to avoid suspicious behaviour.

Saffron gives her a nod when she gets asked for by a booth. In the ninja movies that Konoha civilians gorge themselves on, if you're asked for a booth it's always THE guy- be it the enemy or love interest. But movies lie for drama. Ino gets asked for a booth to entertain or dances several times a night. That's true of all the girls, even the tired and unpretty ones.

Which is why when, at 12:30am, Saffron gives her a nod and holds up four fingers, Ino sighs and gives her current companions a charming smile, extracting herself from their groping hands.

"Private booth, one guy," Saffron mutters as they pass. "Not a regular. Security'll be watching from the curtains if shit goes nasty."

"Thanks gal," Ino smiles, because that probably means someone wants sex rather than just flirtatious hosting or dancing.

Her outfit is, to be fair, shimmering sparkles, cinched tight across shoulders and thighs. She had great fun picking it out- she found such irony in it. Where most dancers chose outfits designed to show off their best assets, Ino chose it for the fact it hid most of her lean tone and kunoichi build, made her look less slick and flexible than she was. It gave her some heaviness in the upper arms. It shortened her legs. All without revealing it was doing anything other than 'I'm trying to be sexy'.

She slides into booth number four and purrs a hello.

The man sat there is a blond, with rough stubble and a rugged jawline. He has eyes a shade darker than her normal hue (she is wearing contacts tonight, duh), and a shirt unbuttoned a few.

He grins at her tipsily, smoothing his palms along his thighs.

"So, my friends put me up to this," he says in a wavering tenor, "I have no fucking clue what I'm doing, ha, if it's ok to ask you where the lines are and stuff."

"Of course you can, handsome. Are you looking for a dance or...?" She leans forward, shimmers catching low light. "We can shut the curtains if you like."

"What other options does this place do?" Ino meets the man's eyes. He sounds like he's about to try and start a gentle questioning, but she's not sure.

"How much money do your friends have laid down?" she laughs, watching his eyes follow her throat and legs.

"A lot", he parries, muzzily swallowing some sake, "what are your... rates?"

Ino is getting questioned, isn't she.

She moves closer, trailing fingers down his shirt, lids lowered.

Henge._ fuck, Shinobi!_

Ino has to keep acting like she doesn't know or she's going to blow her cover. So she sashays into the circle of his drunken arms, feeling the chakra hum against her in a cloak.

"I'll dance for you, handsome," she purrs, letting his hands roam over shoulders and her ribcage.

She moves in a roll and sway across his lap. "Wh-where did you learn to move like that?" he groans.

"Haven't seen your face here before," she replies, "is this a lad's night out?"

His chakra doesn't stutter much. She'll give him that. He also smells of nothing but alcohol. For a shinobi disguise, that's pretty good. She's used to a hint of ozone or earth or blood, just lurking beneath the surface.

But it does stutter, just a little, so Ino bats her fake eyelashes and buys whatever bullshit spills from his lips.

"So have you worked here a while?"

"m just on loan from another club. Can't steal Cinnamon's show!"

"Is she like the one in charge?"

God, is _she _this obvious? _fucking hope not. _It's actually painful, how he's trying any avenues to get her to start talking longer, while she grinds against him.

Finally, Ino's patience for the game snaps. She pivots in his grasp and strokes down his jawline, along his throat, other hand teasing the shimmers on her outfit. It looks suggestive.

"Do you want me to dance, or are you trying to pay me to talk?" she laughs. And the most damning thing this shinobi could do, the most mediocre act of tradecraft, makes her want to screech- he doesn't even hide his indecision for a split second.

"Dance away," he rolls his hands like waves, falling back into his drunk persona.

Ino sees Rice farmers and nearby shinobi in the club. Genuine ones on their time off. They aren't broadcasting SHINOBI to the world, but they aren't point blank hiding it. If they want to talk, they say they want to talk. If they want a dance as cover, they're laidback and don't ask dumb questions like this. Plenty of the men in this establishment are there for the business more than the girls.

She reckons this shinobi isn't Rice. Probably from Suna or the Land of Rivers. If she reveals herself to them, she can't predict how they'll react, and they may completely hinder her goals. She doesn't know if he's a sensor, so she can't use her usual mind-brushing tricks.

So the dance goes, and she picks up 'his friends money'. She reflects with a smile- at least this way around she is probably draining another village's mission budget and pocketing more for Konoha.

* * *

It's 5am. The dancing girls are counting up money, then handing it over to the matron.

"Good night?" Cinnamon asks, grabbing a pair of flat shoes with a sigh of relief. They're all tired, bone tired, always.

Saffron nods, watching Ino.

"Good earner," she grunts, "hope she don't stay long."

"My knees kill," Cinnamon cracks the joints in her wrists and ripples her spine. Her breasts still shine with the oil someone put on her at 3am. Rice is a tough place for a single mother, but the matron of this club has friends all over the land. They get you by offering a way out, being nice. They'll give you a job and watch your kid for you, put a roof over your head, anything or something to get you just off the street but not enough to leave.

Saffron settles her ass against the cold sticky bar, stuffing tonight's cut into a pouch. She wonders if this new girl switched clubs to get away from a problem customer, or an accident, or something. But really, Saffron just wants to sleep. That's more important than any bitching.

Ino thanks the matron once again for her kindness in allowing her to come work at the club. She bows clumsily and heads away to the inn that didn't pay attention to her.

Outside, she breathes in the early morning stillness. She shakes out stiffness in her limbs. The dawn will break in less than an hour and her senses are still twinging, alert from the stagelights and heady music of the club.

The Yamanaka heiress is reminded of Hatake then.

_His mask shadowing his face, leaned next to her._

_"The first days of any recce," he had said, "you'll be wired. It's after a week or so where it starts to show- the wheat cut from the chafe. You'll be bored, start to get comfortable, overblown from anxiety, whatever. After a week, most shinobi slip."_

_"But how do I be better than that?" Ino had asked, wide-eyed and terrified._

_"You got me until you got yourself", he'd hummed, shifting to find Icha Icha. _

Ino smiles, the memory a pleasant distraction. She's been lucky and had many people to learn from, Asuma to be her sensei and believe in her, T&I and their networks to train her, Sakura to compete with, Shikamaru and Choji to complement her, her clan to support her.

Hatake holds the unique title of being the person to break her.

She hops into the rented room, scans for traps, and flops on the bed.

Hatake and she met most often in rooms like this one. Now she stops to think about it, it was a morally grey decision. But ninja are morally grey, and Ino has never sat well with Naruto's preaching about scruples. Ends justify the means for her.

She sighs, shifting on the mattress, absently winding blonde locks of hair around her fingers.

***CN: Really dodgy content here, read at your peril. If you want to skip, Tune back in at the next set of asterisks.***

Ino was 14, a newly promoted Chunin. Asuma had just put her through four weeks of apprenticeship with Anko. At that point, it was bog-standard interrogation and torture. In the afternoons, her father would come by the offices and give her Yamanaka tips.

She doesn't know when, but she remembers a conversation, standing a few feet away, watching the grown-ups discuss. She remembers Asuma's entreating tone of voice, Hatake eyeing her up and down. She wasn't paying attention then, but she reckons that's when Asuma proposed it.

Then, she knew Hatake only as Sakura's beloved 'Kakashi-sensei'. Anko had started to include diagrams and technicalities that moved to using arousal, and though Ino was perfectly okay with this new form of manipulation, if she was going to progress any further there was still the quiet elephant in the room that she had_ no personal experience._

Asuma had sat her down and said, "I've found you a practice partner."

Ino had froze. (She was still a brat back then.)

"I'll come with you, think of it like a training mission."

She had folded her arms and protested, because it felt like it wasn't fucking fair (Ino was just learning the power of swear words at this point) and she found castrating someone kind of icky and why weren't any of the other Konoha Twelve girls getting this training and why couldn't she be a medic like Sakura and-

"Because Konoha needs more than just medics, Ino-chan, and I believe you can do what needs to be done in ways that no-one else can."

Asuma had let her blow off her steam and then appealed to her sense of higher purpose. Ino knew she was being manipulated and molded but goddamn he was right. She was good with the T&I team. It didn't stop her feeling upset, feeling like her life was switching to a different path instead of staying in the light and happy with everyone else in her Genin cohort. (Now, Ino laughs. She has torn the same sentiment of 'it's not fair, you're putting me apart from them' at some point from every single head in the Konoha Twelve.)

That training mission had led to an inn in a Fire nation village, with a nice tea-lady. She had smiled obliviously and handed them a room-key. Asuma and Ino went in the room, dropped their bags, and then Asuma had knocked on the next door.

Hatake had been kind to her. Not gentle in bed, but kind to her. He kept his mask on the whole time. Afterwards he took a long shower.

She had called on him to practice several more times, in sterile isolated conditions. Asuma was discreetly encouraging. Ino's body needed to become used to certain things. And, as an adult, Ino is pragmatically thankful that Asuma didn't try to take on that task himself, or do something horrendous like suggest Shikamaru or Choji.

Her sensei found someone able to perform the duties required. The same person who was also professional enough to wrestle with the guilt and shame of the arrangement in secrecy, and never breathe a word compromising Ino. Hatake knew sacrifice like the back of his hand.

Now, Ino looks back on it, and sees a young man, 28 years old, with demons biting at his heels every step. What was one more sin to add to the tally? All he asked of her was to leave his thoughts alone. 'Kakashi-sensei' was a stranger to her. Hatake was not.

More bluntly put: as a fresh 14 year old, sore from being fucked into a mattress relentlessly by Sakura's sensei, Ino found it... awkward to hang out with Sakura. She quickly learned to compartmentalise her rival's sensei and her training partner as two different people.

Ino curls away from the dawn and drifts off. Memories of Hatake rutting into her, horrified with himself for enjoying his task, fade away into sleep.

* * *

**** SAFE TO RESUME****

As the afternoon shadows flicker across her face, Ino is awoken by murmurs.

She's unsure whether venturing too far afield in search of Miyaji/Tsubaki Moramito is a good idea. Rice is, as the name suggests, villages and paths carved around endless paddyfields. She's been here a couple of times before but a few clicks away.

Her stomach growling settles her indecision.

Tenten brought her sesame buns from somewhere nearby once. They were delicious and she can use them as a pretext.

And so Ino is just another midnight worker off-kilter going about her day. The lady on the street selling mangoes tells her where to find the lady with the sesame buns. The lady with the sesame buns tells her where to find the haberdashers'. The haberdasher's tells her where to find a good cloth merchant.

And so the trail goes, each point innocuous, innocent, completely plausible, but bringing her closer and closer to people who should deal with Miyaji. And so the nights go, Ino falling firmly into her mask. She carefully keeps track of shinobi presence. There's a Grass contingent who appear to be here as merchant protection. They spend most of their time being obvious deterrents, lounging alongside the wagons of stock.

She writes a weekly report back to T&I, as though letters to a grandma. She takes delight in adding in the details about the bird nest across the way, the stinky old guy who lives next to her- anything she reckons Anko or Houza will smile at.

The days drag on. She sees Cinnamon in daylight bartering over milk and they give each other an awkward smile, acknowledgement but nothing more. Ino doesn't need the friends here. She remembers Hatake's words and stays sharp instead.

Anko and Houza do indeed smile upon receipt of her reports. The stiff shinobi's eyes glitter with amusement and he carefully covers a chuckle as Ino narrates an afternoon spent comically avoiding an irate washerwoman. Anko snorts at her stinky old guy neighbour. They can't respond easily due to the messaging system. The messengers network across the Great Five nations have intelligence plants. If they see a certain name and location come through, they are instructed to carefully remove the addressing and replace it with official correspondence designations.

So Anko and Houza wait for news almost as patiently as Ino hunts.

Until the day her letter comes through, delicate handwriting:

_Dear Grandma,_

_I know this sounds kind of silly, but- I met somebody. I think he's the one. So far I've been too shy to come clean, but he's seen me dance and everything. How did you speak to Gramps, I can't eve..._

* * *

**A/N: Wellp. Another chapter down. Thanks for sticking with it, and as always, anything you want to see- dm me/review/fav/follow etc. Y'all legends. **

**~featheredblades**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch7 of Ino-cense...**

* * *

Ino is skimming along so many minds she thinks she might break apart.

She's just finished with one client, and is about to return to the floor of the club. She's used this chance to hunt- rifling through memories and surface thoughts of everyone in her vicinity without having to keep up her shimmer facade.

This is where she sees him first. Next to the bar, adjusting his watch. Makes eye contact with two regulars and smiles slightly, consummate. The type who roll their eyes as if to say, 'distasteful, isn't it, but I'm here for business'.

This is it. He was here tonight, in this club.

Then she sees her prey in one of the dancer's heads. It's just a quick glance over and a wonder if he'll be after her again.

Ino's smile sweetens and she shortens her stride into a cuter sashay- more submissive, bendable. Her hair has been swept up with glittering threads, exposing a long neck.

"Free shot?" she asks; the usual gimmick, holding a tray from the barman. To make it less obvious who she's after she asks a trail of men, until finally she's within striking distance of Tsubaki Moramito.

A wide-eyed, tired but earnest look.

"Free shot?"

His gaze passes over her, fleeting and dismissive. Her target apathetically takes the shot from her, places it on his table and returns to the mindnumbing conversation with two Rice locals about whether Allspice is the same as Five Spice.

Ino looks away, out at the crowd, and runs a hand over the nape of her neck as if relieving an ache. She lets out a silent exhale that gives the very picture of someone who does not want to return to work.

"Can I get you gentlemen anything?"

The Rice locals know her a little by now. One cheerfully eyes her chest and makes a vague noise of interest, downing another sake dish. The other, already rosy-nosed by alcohol, requests a litany of bottles for her to return with. Ino bows and promptly delivers.

This allows her to settle at their table and assist in pouring and serving, rather like a much less classy version of a geisha. _There are no shamisen here that's for sure,_ Ino smiles to herself, as the club's bass thunders on. The two Rice locals are clearly falling into a stupor tinged with bolder and bolder interest in her.

Her target seems particularly uninterested in being there, and almost verges on impolite focus. It's not quite what Ino had hoped for, but she'll try to use the situation anyway.

"Ano, danna," she smiles coyly, deliberately formal addressing him as patron, "this one sees many men making agreements. It is often considered rude not to enjoy the luxuries of the game before the matter is concluded."

Moramito looks at her again, a slight furrow in his brow. He has high cheekbones and a weak jaw, with crows feet slinking into the corner of his eyes. There is a squint there- perhaps he needs glasses and is too proud to concede to using them. She thinks him to be a disciplined sort of man.

She has committed his face to memory, but it is different seeing it in person. With targets, it always is.

They both together look at the Rice locals, who are openly drinking in the female flesh displayed on stage.

"See, danna? Some things cannot be rushed." She nods serenely to herself. Despite the fact she is still Shimmer and therefore currently exposing decollete, midriff and long legs, she manages to pull off an aura of propriety.

Moramito nods, reluctantly agreeing, and his eyes skim over her idly. She can see the idea bubble in his head- toying with the notion of using her for a while. He glances back at the Rice locals and seems to decide they won't be getting down to business any time soon.

"Do you have a private booth, Miss...?"

"Shimmer," she answers, absently tracing a hand along her neck and collarbones. "Who would you like to request?"

"You." He's abrupt about it, transactional- which Ino thanks Kami for because her patience might run out and then she'll fail on this info gathering exercise.

She gracefully rises, to the wolfwhistles of the two sodden Rice locals, and leads him by the wrist to number 7. Most girls don't like number 7 because it's the farthest away from where security tend to be. That's exactly why Ino wants it now.

She shuts the curtains, pours a glass for him and coils into the booth's plastic covered cushions. Fingers interlocked, chin lowered and watching him through her lashes.

"How may I assist, danna?"

"What are your rates?"

"Ah, a business negotiation. You are a focused man indeed!" Ino smiles like a cat with a twitching tail.

"My companions are ill-disposed," he says, leaning back and watching her with increasing hunger. "What else am I to do... your rates?"

Ino doesn't miss a beat.

"Take me to dinner, danna, it's cheaper."

"It's past dinner-time and I'm sure I can afford you." He eyes his watch as though she's stupid. In response, Ino examines her nails, turning her hand over and artfully displaying her delicate wrists.

The silence undoes him. He reaches for her anyway, and Ino stifles a grin and releases a muffled cry.

"Hey!"

Moramito reflexively lets go. He's been in these joints long enough to know that security is probably right behind the curtains (it isn't- Ino picked number 7 for a reason, but hey, he doesn't know that).

"What sort of man are you, to take away your goods before you bought them!" Ino pretends indignancy and brings a harsh blush to her cheeks.

"You didn't name a price."

"I was doing you a favour." Ino moves closer, still affronted, and rests her hand on his knee. "Mama only allows certain services here. If you have other tastes, you'd be better moved to a different locatio-"

"-where you can offer me a cheaper price and you don't have to pay your mama the house commission fee," her target finishes for her. Now that her apparent monetary motive is out in plain speech he seems to relax, having satisfactorily got the measure of her. Just a simple courtesan who's after a better slice of the pie.

He nods, that squint and furrowed brow again, and hunger returns. It's just gone midnight. Still time for another dancer to come in and sate him. Ino thinks about it and realises she may have to give him a hint to get him to come back to her.

"Don't offer rough hits if you can't take them," she says, demurely crossing her legs.

Moramito's eyes light up in greed before being smothered again. He looks down at her hand and legs and his disciplined mind kicks in.

"I can do business with you. Tomorrow then."

* * *

Moramito pushes her hard. He's expecting her to have courtesan tricks but Ino's training gives her a high pain tolerance. She lets her mind go blank and fuzzy as he abuses her jaw. She thinks it's dislocated by the end.

She doesn't ask any questions or even look about the place he suggested, except to ask if he would like to see her again. He shifts one heavy meat globule of a hand and laconically points to money by the door. Ino thinks she's fucked up big time.

Except he comes back to the club on business a few nights later, and asks for her to entertain his table. Ino keeps her shimmery persona on firmly, and tells him she doesn't get off work until 5am. So he has her for half an excruciating hour in the private booth.

Ino can't ask questions if she's desperately trying not to asphyxiate. She idly wonders if Moramito deliberately has encounters this way.

* * *

She writes her weekly report more depleted than usual. On the one hand, she has news. On the other, it's a mixed bag of progress. She tried mind-brushing him during the encounters but it was solid focused lust. Before and after, he's a careful alert customer and she doesn't want to reveal kunoichi prowess in any form. Ninja expect chakra usage in the background, and Ino is very subtle with her mind arts, but civilians can sometimes see the small stuff by virtue of a sixth sense.

_Dear Grandma,_

_I know this sounds kind of silly, but- I met somebody. I think he's the one. So far I've been too shy to come clean, but he's seen me dance and everything. How did you speak to Gramps, I can't even talk to him without being nervous! _

_Send my love to Aunt Kimiko, I saw a beautiful azalea bush in a photo the other day and it reminded me of her. Jasmine steamed rice is my favourite dish at the moment._

_Love,  
_

_Chichi_

She signs with a flourish and seals in an addressed envelope. She hopes before the next report there'll be some change, some chink in Moramito's armour. Some loosening of the lips which she can pry open.

Ino is a valuable resource for her village and this is a mission simply to get to the bottom of an extortion gang, who do not yet directly threaten Konoha. This means that Ino will probably choose to disengage before the situation is too precarious. However there is a part of her that bridles, recoils even, at the vague notion of failure. Jounin should be capable and successful. She has earned her rank but there is a chip on her shoulder that makes her feel like she needs to keep earning it.

* * *

Houza and Anko go to see the Hokage.

"Mou, what can we do to help Ino-chan?" Naruto asks, sunny blonde hair tilting in the afternoon light. He's the 'Gramps' mentioned in the scroll.

Houza inclines his head at the Special Advisor and former Rokudaime sprawled by the window, the ever present Icha Icha novella in his hand loosely.

Hatake's free eye blinks up at the attention.

"We have three options, Hokage-sama." His tone is dry, and his bearing relaxed. "One: We pull her out of there. If there's no progress, no sense wasting a Jounin. Two: We send support. This takes more of our active duty roster out of commission for an unspecified period of time. Three: We let her continue. She might find something; Ino is a big girl. She can handle herself." It is obvious from Hatake's emphasis he thinks three is the best option, but he wants to give Naruto the illusion of making the choice himself.

Anko exchanges a wary glance with Houza- the Tokubetsu Jounin has hesitance swimming in her eyes, so her companion takes on the task of challenging the Special Advisor gently.

"Hatake-dono makes excellent points, Hokage-sama. I know Ino would not have written us lightly, so her situation must be precarious."

"Kunoichi are adept with those situations, so I have heard."

Both grey haired men steadily gaze at each other, the Icha Icha novel in Hatake's hand falling to one side.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, in the midst of traditional careful politics and positioning, they have both forgotten the most crucial piece of all- The Hokage himself.

"Bah! Ino-chan is in a pickle! We look after each other- that is the Will of Fire and my nindo! Whi-"

"Hai, Hoka-"

"-ich is why we must send support! Which other shinobi on the roster are near her?"

Hatake is the first to recover his composure- Option Two was his worst choice. Houza's mouth twitches; he also sees it as unduly expensive for potentially no gain. But their Hokage's word is the final say.

The Roster isn't written down. That sort of knowledge would destroy a village if it ever reached enemies. Instead, the R&D branches of the Genin Corps came up with a set of chakra-sensitive wires and filaments that form a lattice structure representing their known world.

It is keyed only to work for the Hokage and his Special Advisors, so Hatake bestirs himself to take a look. He thinks he already knows the answer but confirmation is better.

Each shinobi active on a mission appears as their registration number, little tiny flickers of light along wires in their last known location. It's truly a mad work of genius. Hatake saw many things in his days in ANBU but this is one of the most awe-inspiring, a hope for the innovation and progress Konoha can bring to the world.

That said, the technology behind this is still tightly locked down. He doesn't know if it will ever be released voluntarily.

The Special Advisor raises a hand and channels chakra through his palm, watching the lights expand up through the wire map.

"As I thought," he announces, gaze sweeping over the Land of Rice and its cluster of neighbouring small territories, "Moegi Kazamatsuri, Ebisu and... Kiba Inuzuka."

"Would it be feasible to dovetail their existing mission parameters with a briefing and scout for Ino Yamanaka?" Houza asks clinically, with an eye to the logistics.

Naruto chooses now of all times to switch on his improvisational genius mode. "So Ebisu is on a time deadline mission- I think something like a courier drop. Moegi and Kiba are tracking down a convict for local law enforcement."

"Kiba has worked with Ino before," Anko remarks, "He wouldn't need an in person briefing, details could be given vaguely by messenger hawk, and given his scent tracking he could probably find her whatever appearance she takes."

"And there would be no trouble from the messenger hawk's potential flight path?" Hatake muses for a second, tracing his finger from their base in Konoha in a direct 'as-the-crow-flies' over to the Land of Rice. It is largely crossing Fire territory, with some small forays over Grass and Rain.

Anko hums. "Inoichi might have something to say about how we word the hawk's briefing in case of interception, but risks are low."

The Hokage nods solemnly, lacing his fingers together in a way the late Sandaime often did. It worked for a wizened old military leader. On this twenty-something energy ball of a blond, it's just mildly comical.

"Okay then. Send Kiba a hawk, dattebayo!"

* * *

Anko and Houza and Inoichi carefully compose the briefing. It has to be short. It has to work for someone not used to deception and intelligence. And it has to not compromise Konoha if it is intercepted.

The three criteria are tricky to fulfil simultaneously, but not impossible.

Inoichi puffs out a sigh as he watches the hawk be released, message encircling its ankle. He knows Ino is capable with her skillsets, but still he worries. The part of him that is Father and Clan Head worries for his beloved little girl. A good shinobi knows his weaknesses, and Inoichi would be a fool to ignore his own.

Inoichi's father told him once that the most dangerous men were those who had recently gained 'nothing left to lose' status. Before that point they can be leveraged, based on fear of what can be taken from them. Too long after, and their rages and emotions wane. The thought of his little girl, her skills negated, potentially trapped in unsavoury positions, makes his skin prickle and his blood pound. With effort, the Yamanaka Clan Head inhales and exhales, trying to return to the glass-like state of awareness he cultivates.

It is not the first time that Inoichi considers himself a risk for Konoha because of his love for others.

The hawk lets out a cry as it passes the village gates. Its hunt has just begun.

* * *

"Ai- Kiba!"

"Yeah?"

"Four o'clock- Aerial Movement!"

Moegi tosses him a pair of goggles from her hip pouch. These have built in binoculars.

Kiba sniffs the wind but there is no acrid scent of demolition clay or burning fuel. He raises the goggles and sees a messenger hawk. It's one of the breeds Konoha sometimes send.

"We're likely clear," he shrugs. They're slogging through the Grasslands to the next place an arsonist could hide. Smaller villages and nations without the benefit of a strong shinobi system will sometimes hire one of the Great Five to be the arbiter and executioner of justice. This time Konoha has been called upon to eek out a man who burned down three houses, apparently in retribution for an adulterous wife, and then fled.

Kiba's feeling pretty good, not overly tired, a slight twinge in his hip but nothing major. Akamaru pads alongside him. His tongue is lolling from one corner of his jaw.

The messenger hawk starts to descend, taking ways around updrafts and invisible currents, a slow circle towards them.

"Probably just an update, yeah," Moegi echoes back.

His muscles are starting to tense regardless and she also looks apprehensive. Just in case.

The hawk lets out a little cry and skims above them before wheeling round, angling for Kiba's shoulder. He can't help but reflexively draw out a kunai, reverse grip, ready to take on whatever enemies this new development might bring.

"Grab the message," he murmurs to his partner. Moegi doesn't falter, tugging it off the hawk's ankle. As soon as she takes the message it immediately flies away.

They glance around furtively, looking for the best cover to stop and read this new information.

"There's probably a natural windbank over there," Moegi offers, chewing on her lip, so they settle in the grass where she points, hoping movement will be mistaken for another breeze.

_FAO Inuzuka_

_Added parameter to your current mission. Investigation needed for Young Clover-leaf, Mama Rakushi's 273196 on Standard Map B. Safety is priority. Disengage if necessary._

Kiba immediately pulls out his overlay standard maps. They live in a pocket next to their skin and are made of light flexible armour, perfect for a kunai or shuriken to graze off rather than pierce.

Standard Map B gives a location in the Land of Rice, about 14 clicks from them. Mama Rakushi's sounds like a tea-house, and Young Clover-leaf is obviously a Yamanaka.

Moegi pauses in their deciphering and frowns a moment. "There aren't many Yamanakas who would be on a solo mission right now, and it's got to be someone you can sniff out without their scent to hand."

Kiba watches her face suddenly close off and her nose wrinkle in muted distaste.

"What?"

"It's probably Ino," is all she says after a while.

* * *

Kiba unpacks his bedroll and scritches Akamaru's head absentmindedly. He wonders why he's been sent to check on her, hopes she is okay. Does his best to bury that feeling in a quiet mantra of 'pack is safe pack is safe pack is safe'.

The stars look like they're laughing at him as he falls asleep.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for your reviews/favs/follows- you keep the content coming! Let me know if there's anything you want to see out of the next chapter, when Ino and Kiba meet up again. **

**Hope you and yours are safe and well, and happy reading! **

**~featheredblades**


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